Was Zuma’s release just a hatched plan?

Just when you thought the ANC’s machinations could no longer shock you, along comes correctional services national commissioner Arthur Fraser to tell us that he personally overruled doctors’ recommendations not to grant Jacob Zuma medical parole.

Fraser, who is perceived to be close to Zuma and was appointed by the former president to run the State Security Agency (a term still wreathed in controversy), is due to retire soon and this would have been one of his last major acts as prisons boss.

Yet, he maintains he acted legally and procedurally in going against a report of the parole board, which had, after getting medical advice, recommended that Zuma could continue to be detained because his health condition was “stable”.

President Cyril Ramaphosa was informed of the parole decision.

He will argue that he cannot interfere with the legal decisions of the head of an important government department – but the whiff of backroom dealing remains.

Was this all part of the plan all along? Did the ANC baulk at sending one of its stalwarts to jail? And did it
then work to find an accommodation which would suit everyone?

The “everyone” would exclude those of us who want justice done and an end to corruption.