Ex-South African President, Zuma Eligible For Parole In Under Four Months

Jacob Zuma

Jacob Zuma, a former President of South Africa who was sentenced to 15-month imprisonment for contempt, will be eligible for parole in just under four months, the authorities said.

Under the country’s correctional regulations, "the former president will be eligible for parole once a quarter of his sentence has been served," Justice Minister Ronald Ramola told reporters.

Zuma "will be afforded dignity throughout his term of incarceration," he said, speaking in front of Estcourt prison in KwaZulu-Natal province.

Zuma handed himself in overnight to the police to begin serving the sentence at the jail, which is located in a small farming town.

The sentence was handed down by the Constitutional Court on June 29 after Zuma refused an order to appear before anti-graft investigators.

Zuma, who is in "good spirits" will be placed in isolation for the first 14 days in jail in line with Covid-19 protocols, the minister said, adding that he would not receive "any special treatment."