Zondo commission will not take part in court challenges over Zuma’s medical parole

The state capture inquiry will not participate in court bids by the DA and civil rights organisation AfriForum to have the medical parole granted to former president Jacob Zuma reviewed.

Zuma was released on medical parole earlier in September after being jailed in July for contempt of court after a ruling by the Constitutional Court.

Amid the controversy over the granting of medical parole for Zuma, specifically the decision of outgoing prisons national commissioner Arthur Fraser to overrule the medical parole board, the DA and AfriForum approached the Gauteng high court and named the Zondo commission among the respondents.

Commission secretary Itumeleng Mosala said in a statement the inquiry is not engaged with the matter of Zuma’s medical parole.

“The commission wishes to announce that it will not be taking part in any of the proceedings,” said Mosala, adding that he was acting on instructions from commission chair acting chief justice Raymond Zondo.

“It has instructed the state attorney to deliver a notice to the registrar of the court and other parties that the commission will abide the decision of the court.

“At this stage the commission is focusing on wrapping up its work and completing its report.”

The commission last week filed a request to the high court in Pretoria, asking for an extension from the end of September until the end of December to file its final report.

Zuma, meanwhile, could be discharged from hospital in Gauteng to return to his KwaZulu-Natal home by Friday, in time to spend the upcoming heritage long weekend surrounded by his family.

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