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| Jacob Zuma |
An
official government department announced on Friday that former South African
President Jacob Zuma has been released from prison after serving his term for
contempt of court.
Due
to his refusal to cooperate with a corruption investigation, Zuma was given a
15-month term last year.
On
July 7 of last year, when he turned himself in to begin his sentence, his
outraged followers rushed to the streets and unleashed the worst violence South
Africa had seen in years.
In a
statement, Zuma said he felt relieved to be a free man and thanked his
supporters.
"The... messages of
support on social media and other platforms kept me strong and focused on
ensuring that those who wanted to break my spirit and resolve do not
succeed," he said.
Zuma was released on medical
parole in September 2021. But in December, the high court set aside the parole
decision and ordered him to return to jail. Zuma appealed the ruling and
remained on parole pending the appeal outcome.
His
appeal had not been determined by the time his sentence expired.
"Mr Zuma complied with
his conditions for medical parole as set out during his placement," the
Correctional Services department said in a statement.
"All administrative
processes have now been concluded and the sentence expiry date marks the end of
him serving his sentence under community corrections."
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