News / Africa
'Former Spy Boss released Jacob Zuma from prison'
07 Sep 2021 at 11:40hrs | Views
South African opposition Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen is contesting National Commissioner of Correctional Services Arthur Fraser's decision to release former President Jacob Zuma on parole and wants Parliament to summons the prisons boss to explain himself.
In a statement, Steenhuisen said, "The granting of medical parole to former president Jacob Zuma by the Department of Correctional Services is entirely unlawful and makes a mockery of the Correctional Matters Amendment Act of 2011. It should also be noted that this medical parole was granted to Zuma by his former spy boss, Arthur Fraser - a man deeply implicated in the corruption of the State Security Agency and accused of running an illegal parallel intelligence structure. Instead of firing him from his administration, President Cyril Ramaphosa promoted him to his current position of prisons boss."
Fraser who is the former director-general of the State Security Agency (SSA) is accused of having done a lot of Zuma's bidding when he was president, and allegedly leaked the spy tapes which derailed a corruption case against the ex-head of state.
"We will be submitting an application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) for the records of the Parole Board to establish what criteria the Department of Correctional Services used to determine Jacob Zuma's eligibility for medical parole.
We will also request that the Justice and Correctional Services Committee summon Arthur Fraser to explain to Parliament his decision to grant this medical parole in direct contravention of the Correctional Matters Amendment Act." The DA leader said.
Zuma was sentenced to a 15-month term by the Constitutional Court on June 29 for contempt of court without the option of an appeal. Zuma is still in hospital but will be released into the care of his doctors and family.
In a statement, Steenhuisen said, "The granting of medical parole to former president Jacob Zuma by the Department of Correctional Services is entirely unlawful and makes a mockery of the Correctional Matters Amendment Act of 2011. It should also be noted that this medical parole was granted to Zuma by his former spy boss, Arthur Fraser - a man deeply implicated in the corruption of the State Security Agency and accused of running an illegal parallel intelligence structure. Instead of firing him from his administration, President Cyril Ramaphosa promoted him to his current position of prisons boss."
Fraser who is the former director-general of the State Security Agency (SSA) is accused of having done a lot of Zuma's bidding when he was president, and allegedly leaked the spy tapes which derailed a corruption case against the ex-head of state.
"We will be submitting an application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) for the records of the Parole Board to establish what criteria the Department of Correctional Services used to determine Jacob Zuma's eligibility for medical parole.
We will also request that the Justice and Correctional Services Committee summon Arthur Fraser to explain to Parliament his decision to grant this medical parole in direct contravention of the Correctional Matters Amendment Act." The DA leader said.
Zuma was sentenced to a 15-month term by the Constitutional Court on June 29 for contempt of court without the option of an appeal. Zuma is still in hospital but will be released into the care of his doctors and family.
Source - Byo24News
