Fikile Mbalula Says the Anc Does Not Want Zuma to Go Back to Jail, Says Is Matter Out of Their Hands

• ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula expressed the ANC's lack of enthusiasm regarding former President Jacob Zuma's return to prison
• Mbalula stated during a press conference that the party does not want to see an 80-year-old jailed, but the rule of law needs to be applied
• This comes after the Constitutional Court ruled that Zuma should return to prison to finish his 15-month sentence

JOHANNESBURG - ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the political organisation is not enthused about former President Jacob Zuma being ordered to go back to prison.

This comes after the Constitutional Court upheld a ruling that Zuma needed to serve the remainder of his 15-month sentence because his release on medical parole was invalid and unlawful, reports The Daily Maverick.

Read also

Public Works defends spending R100m for unoccupied presidential residences' upkeep

Fikile Mbalula says Zuma's pending incarceration is out of the ANC's hands

Addressing the media on Sunday, 16 July, Mbalula responded to EFF leader Julius Malema's call to President Cyril Ramaphosa to grant Zuma a presidential pardon so he does not spend another day behind bars.

The ANC SG stated that the ruling party sympathised with Zuma and did not want to see an 80-year-old go to prison.

While the ANC feels for Zuma, Mbalula said that the law is the law, and it is up to the government to interpret ConCourt's judgement, reports JacarandaFM.

"Government needs to look at all of those things [including] what is in the best interest of the country and what is the correct interpretation of the law. The ANC does not go around making out-of-turn remarks about judgments. We focus on the law, and in this instance, that’s what we are looking at," said Mbalula.

Read also

Mbalula says ANC must hold onto power in upcoming 2024 elections, citizens weigh in

Zuma Foundation keeps public guessing on former president’s illness: “Msholozi must stay in Russia”

Briefly News previously reported that the Jacob Zuma Foundation has chosen not to disclose the specific illness for which former President Jacob Zuma is currently undergoing treatment in Russia.

According to SABC News, the foundation refrained from disclosing the expected date of Zuma's return to South Africa.

The foundation said it intends to wait for the Correctional Services Department's verdict regarding the parole status of the former president.

Source: Briefly News