Former South African President Jacob Zuma has been released from prison after being given remission status.
According to Justice Minister Ronald Lamola, the remission decision was made to ease jail overpopulation. He claims that the “remission process” began in April.
Zuma surrendered at Escourt prison in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday at 0600 local time (0400GMT) and was “admitted” into the system, according to South Africa’s Commissioner of Prisons Makgothi Thobakgale.
He was discharged an hour later as part of a specific remission process. President Cyril Ramaphosa granted remission status to almost 9,000 low-risk convicts.
Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court in June 2021 after refusing to testify before a panel investigating financial malfeasance and cronyism during his administration.
He was released on medical parole, however, only two months into his sentence.
His imprisonment provoked protests that turned into riots and looting, killing almost 350 people.
Last November, an appeals court ruled that Zuma’s release was unlawful and ordered him to return to prison to complete his sentence. The constitutional court rejected an attempt to overturn this ruling last month.
