Former president Jacob Zuma is back in the country from his recent medical trip to Russia, the JG Zuma Foundation said on Wednesday.
“The check-up and observation went well,” said spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi, who expressed gratitude to citizens and organisations that sent Zuma well wishes and prayers.
Manyi said Zuma also had to be back for his private prosecution matter sitting in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday.
The accused in the case are prosecutor Billy Downer and News24 journalist Karyn Maughan.
“In terms of the law, it is compulsory for the private prosecutor to appear whenever the accused persons appear in terms of the summons or as ordered by a judge,” Manyi said.
“As matters stand, barring any not to be ruled out shenanigans, the private prosecution is otherwise set down to be conducted in the presence of the two accused persons.”
The Pietermaritzburg High Court was recently expected to rule on urgent applications to excuse Downer and Maughan from Friday’s proceedings.
They also wanted the court to declare a favourable judgment delivered on June 7 not to be suspended despite Zuma’s application for leave to appeal.
Zuma opposed the application on the grounds that it was not urgent, was premature, and no exceptional circumstances had been established.
At the time of Zuma’s departure for Russia, the Constitutional Court dismissed an appeal, ruling that his release from prison on medical parole was unlawful.
Consequently, the final decision on his early release from prison was on the desk of the national commissioner of correctional services for review.
On July 19, Zuma made a submission to confirm the decision of the commissioner that he had indeed served the full term of his incarceration.
According to the foundation, Zuma was under Correctional Services’ control from July 8 2021 to October 7 2022, as per the Constitutional Court’s order.
“When president Zuma was placed on medical parole, at the prerogative of the Correctional Services, he was still not a free man,” said Manyi.
“He could not even do the required African rituals ahead of the burying of his brother.”
He said Zuma was also not allowed to hold press briefings and had to report his movements to a designated Correctional Services officer.
“No free person does this.”
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