Jacob Zuma to attend brother’s funeral

Former President Jacob Zuma applied for compassionate leave on Tuesday. The Department of Correctional Services now confirmed he had been granted permission “to attend to a family bereavement”.

Compassionate leave granted

The leave was granted due to Zuma being considered as a “short-term, low-risk classified inmate”. The department said the permission is only granted for 22 July.

“A sentenced offender who is granted permission to leave a correction centre, remains a sentenced offender even while temporarily outside”.

The former president is currently serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court after refusing to return and testify at the State Capture Inquiry.

“When outside a correctional facility, inmates need not to wear offender uniform”.

This is a developing story, more to follow.

Zuma’s application for leave

Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo told The Citizen on Wednesday the department was “still awaiting the outcome on the matter”.

On 11 July, it was announced that the former president’s younger brother had passed away. According to TimesLive, Michael passed away at 11am on Sunday after battling a long illness.

The news came in the same week that Zuma started serving his prison sentence at the Estcourt Correctional Centre in KwaZulu-Natal after he handed himself over to the authorities.

Michael – who passed away on 11 July – will be laid to rest Thursday at his KwaNxamalala home.

Additional reporting by Molefe Seeletsa