Johannesburg- Former South African president, Jacob Zuma’s corruption case, which was meant to resume today, has been postponed.
He was arrested in June for contempt where he was expected to serve 15 months in prison but was later on released on medical parole after serving just 61 days of his sentence.
In the criminal case, he is facing 16 counts of fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering and his co-accused, the French arms company Thales, is facing four counts.
The National Prosecuting Authority will have a chance to examine his medical records.
“We confirm that the special plea hearing relating to Mr. Zuma’s case will be postponed virtually by consent of all the parties to September 20 and 21, to enable the state-appointed medical team of specialists to consider the medical evidence in co-operation with Mr. Zuma’s medical team,” said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga.
Meanwhile, during an interview with ‘The Watchdog’ on SABC 1, the national commissioner of correctional services, Arthur Fraser, said that the Medical Parole Advisory Board did not approve medical parole for the former president.
The commissioner said that he took the decision to release Zuma.
“He came to our facility, we have a responsibility to provide security and care. And as in all instances, when we admit a person into our facility, we make sure we do a full assessment, including a health assessment,” he said.
Fraser further said that they realised they had a person in their custody who was frail and required specialised treatment.
It was Zuma’s medical team, in conjunction with correctional services, which indicated he could no longer be kept at the facility because the type of medical care required could not be provided at correctional services.
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