South African ex-president Jacob Zuma has to go back to prison. The court in Pretoria has revoked his medical leave. Zuma became early September set free because of his ill health. Prison authorities said he needed multiple surgeries.
But the court now rules that Zuma should not have been released, even if he had remained under close surveillance. In addition, the period that Zuma has been free will not be deducted from his prison sentence. That means he still has to serve 13 months in prison.
Zuma has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt for the rule of law. He had refused to cooperate in an investigation into corruption practices under his presidency from 2009 to 2018. Critics accused the former leader of using his medical problems as an excuse to be released earlier.
Riots and looting
Despite the conviction, the former president is still very popular among the population. Zuma’s capture sparked widespread rioting and looting in July, killing 300 South Africans.
Those riots took place in Gauteng province, the most important part of the country economically and politically. There were also riots in KwaZulu-Natal, where Zuma comes from.
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