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.
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’s incarceration.
Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola is also expected to join Thobakgale at the Friday morning media briefing.
While the nation waited in anticipation for the announcement on Thursday, a social media account in the name of the former president’s son Duduzane Zuma posted to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in response to a media outlet’s article titled, “Will Zuma be sent back to jail?”.
“Hell will break loose, my father is not going to jail,” the account in the name of the younger Zuma posted at around 5.03pm.
Hell will break loose, my father is not going to jail. https://t.co/8eLhGXHX7t
— Duduzane Zuma (@Duduzane__Zuma) August 10, 2023
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.
The country was brought to its knees as massive protests, looting and attacks erupted in many parts of South Africa.
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.
At least 354 people had lost their lives in the unrest and about 5,500 people had been arrested in connection with the unrest.
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.
He served just two months of the sentence before being released on medical parole.
kailene.pillay@inl.co.za
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