It is now up to prison authorities to decide whether the time the 80-year-old man spent on probation outside prison will be counted as part of his 15-month sentence.
Zuma was paroled in September 2021 due to his ill health. Two months earlier he had been sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of justice. A lower court had already declared Zuma’s release unlawful at the end of 2021. The former president had appealed against this, which was now rejected by the Supreme Court. However, Zuma can still appeal the verdict to the Constitutional Court, the country’s highest body.
In early 2023, Zuma faces another, much larger trial: Zuma is charged with corruption, money laundering and fraud in connection with an arms deal with French arms manufacturer Thales before his term as president. He faces up to 25 years in prison. He himself denies the allegations. The procedure has been postponed many times and is now scheduled for January 30. (SDA)