The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) is expected to hear an appeal in August against a ruling on former president Jacob Zuma's release on medical parole.
Former national commissioner of correctional services Arthur Fraser decided to release Zuma on medical parole after he was sentenced to serve 15 months in jail for contempt of court for failing to appear before the Zondo Commission.
Fraser's decision, Judge Elias Matojane found in the Gauteng High Court, was unlawful. He ordered that Zuma should return to prison and wanted the former president to serve the 15-month term.
Zuma and the Department of Correctional Services are appealing Matojane's ruling.
The department filed papers claiming that it was "right" when it released Zuma from prison and that Fraser's decision was justified.
Zuma and the department claim the former statesman was terminally ill and suffered from comorbidities, and that he was therefore eligible for release on parole.
The appeal is expected to be heard on 15 August and heads of argument are expected to be filed on 1 June and 1 July.
Upon hearing the news about Zuma's release, the DA challenged the medical parole decision and threatened to submit an application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) for the records of the parole board that granted Zuma parole.
The IFP's Mkhuleko Hlengwa said the matter was personal and involved Zuma's health, and AfriForum viewed the parole as a violation of justice.
Zuma was incarcerated in July after he handed himself over at the Estcourt Prison in KwaZulu-Natal.
Two months into his 15-month sentence, he was released on medical parole.
Hardly a month into his jail term, Zuma was classified as a low-risk inmate and was allowed to attend his brother's funeral in Nkandla.
His arrest led to unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, in which many people lost their lives and businesses were severely affected.
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