Former South African President Released from Prison Due to Lack of Space

He will return to his eight wives and 18 children

12/08/2023 - 21:08
Source: Reuters
Source: Reuters

The court has released former South African President Jacob Zuma from detention as the country has simply run out of available prison space, Sarbaz.kz reports, citing the Associated Press.

According to a representative of the penitentiary system, the incarceration facilities are overcrowded by 47%.

In the summer of 2021, the 79-year-old Zuma, who stepped down from the presidency of South Africa, was found guilty of contempt of court and sentenced to 15 months in prison. After a month and a half, he was transferred to a hospital, underwent surgery, and later was conditionally released on health grounds.

However, in December 2021, the High Court of Pretoria declared the politician's early release unlawful and ordered him to return to prison to continue serving his sentence.

Now, Jacob Zuma has been released definitively, and the elderly former president can return to his large family: according to publicly available data, he has eight wives, five of whom have official status, as well as 18 children. Exact information about the politician's grandchildren, despite his repeated statements about adhering to the Zulu tradition of polygamy, is currently unavailable.

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