EFF leader Julius Malema has suggested that President Cyril Ramaphosa should consider granting a pardon to former President Jacob Zuma.
This suggestion came right after the Constitutional Court’s recent decided to deny the Department of Correctional Services the opportunity to appeal a previous ruling regarding Zuma’s release on medical parole.
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The department had sought to challenge a ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal, which deemed Zuma’s release by former Correctional Services boss Arthur Fraser as unlawful.
Zuma had been sentenced to 15 months in prison in June 2021 for contempt of court.
Malema stated that he would approach President Ramaphosa once the Department of Correctional Services has made a decision whether Zuma should be sent back to jail or not.
He emphasized the importance of avoiding violence, referring to the unrest that occurred in July 2021 following Zuma’s imprisonment.
“A presidential pardon is proper. We must try and mitigate a situation where we avoid violence. We saw 350 to 400 Africans die in July. We do not want a repeat of that, we don’t and if the president can intervene in the best interest of the country, that’s good because he is not using the presidential pardon for personal use, it is for the cause. Zuma served, he was released, and we should respect that.”
In response to the court ruling, the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) expressed its commitment to ensuring peace and stability. The party recognized the significant impact of the July 2021 unrest, which resulted in approximately R50 billion being wiped out of the South African economy.
“We believe that the 2021July unrest has lessons of equal significance for all arms of the state, the ANC, opposition political parties, the private sector, the media and society at large. About R50 billion was wiped out of the South African economy as a result of the July 2021 unrest. It is for these reasons we have taken a decision to consult widely to ensure that as we move forward, there is peace and stability,” the party said.
