{"id":191524,"date":"2023-08-11T04:55:27","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T04:55:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/za\/2023\/08\/11\/former-president-jacob-zumas-prison-fate-to-be-announced-on-friday\/"},"modified":"2023-08-11T04:55:27","modified_gmt":"2023-08-11T04:55:27","slug":"former-president-jacob-zumas-prison-fate-to-be-announced-on-friday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/za\/2023\/08\/11\/former-president-jacob-zumas-prison-fate-to-be-announced-on-friday\/","title":{"rendered":"Former president Jacob Zuma\u2019s prison fate to be announced on Friday"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale is expected to announce his decision on the incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma on Friday morning at 7.30am.<\/p>\n

The country waited on tenterhooks on Thursday as the decision was expected to be announced, however, with a few minutes to midnight, Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo issued a statement saying a decision has been made on Zuma\u2019s incarceration. <\/p>\n

Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola is also expected to join Thobakgale at the Friday morning media briefing. <\/p>\n

While the nation waited in anticipation for the announcement on Thursday, a social media account in the name of the former president\u2019s son Duduzane Zuma posted to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in response to a media outlet\u2019s article titled, \u201cWill Zuma be sent back to jail?\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cHell will break loose, my father is not going to jail,\u201d the account in the name of the younger Zuma posted at around 5.03pm.<\/p>\n

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Hell will break loose, my father is not going to jail. https:\/\/t.co\/8eLhGXHX7t<\/p>\n

— Duduzane Zuma (@Duduzane__Zuma) August 10, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The post fuelled concerns that should Zuma be sent back to jail, protests, looting and mayhem would ensue as was the case when Zuma was arrested in 2021.<\/p>\n

The country was brought to its knees as massive protests, looting and attacks erupted in many parts of South Africa.<\/p>\n

The 2021 unrest, also known as the July Unrest, was a wave of civil rioting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng that lasted from July 9-18 in 2021. It was described as the worst violence that the country had experienced since the end of apartheid.<\/p>\n

At least 354 people had lost their lives in the unrest and about 5,500 people had been arrested in connection with the unrest.<\/p>\n

Zuma, at the time, was sentenced to a 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court. This after failing to appear before the State Capture Commission.<\/p>\n

He served just two months of the sentence before being released on medical parole.<\/p>\n

kailene.pillay@inl.co.za<\/p>\n

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