Prisoner hunger strike for Zuma a lie, says Correctional Services , Premier calls for calm

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has denied claims of a hunger strike at the Estcourt Correctional Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.

This is after reports emerged claiming that inmates were protesting in support of former president Jacob Zuma, who is serving his 15-month prison sentence at the facility, demanding his release.

ALSO READ: Zuma arrest: Msholozi could be home before Christmas

In a statement released on Friday, the department labelled the reports as fake news.

“There is no disruption of service at Estcourt and the centre remains calm,” DCS said.

KZN shutdown

Protests have, however, brought various parts of KwaZulu-Natal to a standstill as a number of roads have been blocked with burning tyres, cars and trucks by protesters who are believed to be Zuma supporters.

KZN has experienced a number of scattered attempts to bring the province to a grinding halt as major roads and highways including the N2 and N3 were targeted.

The M7 – a strategic cargo transit route to the Port of Durban and other provincial and municipal links – was affected.

READ MORE: ‘Zuma’s supporters must accept he is behind bars’ – DA

In the process, several vehicles also were reportedly stoned while public infrastructure was damaged, resulting in many commuters not being able to reach their places of work.

The protests have already seen 13 protesters arrested in Empangeni having hijacked trucks and forcing the drivers to block roads before fleeing with the keys, according to News24.

Cliffdale, We See You!!! Amandla ✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽!!! #FreeJacobZuma pic.twitter.com/fKyHOlzfPP

— Dudu Zuma-Sambudla (@DZumaSambudla) July 9, 2021

The provincial government has since called for “calm and maximum adherence to the rule of law”. 

KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala called for “utmost discipline” and for protesters to express their anger through “legitimate and peaceful platforms”.

“We understand the extreme anger of the people who are protesting. As a country and province we find ourselves in a very unusual and unique situation wherein we are dealing with the arrest of a former president of the ANC and the country.

ALSO READ: #BookTitlesForBaba: Should Zuma write an autobiography in prison?

“We are therefore dealing with very challenging times. However, we call on those who are protesting to do so through peaceful means and to avoid violence and destruction at all costs.

“We fully comprehend the feelings of the community, but unfortunately violent and destructive protests often affect or harm the people who are not involved and even those who share the very same pain and concerns of the protesters,” Zikalala said in a statement.

The Premier also cautioned against illegal gatherings the current adjusted alert Level 4 lockdown regulations.

Zuma to spend the weekend in jail

The former president will spend his weekend after the Pietermaritzburg High Court dismissed with costs his urgent application to have his imprisonment stayed.

Judge Bhekisisa Mnguni delivered the judgment on Friday morning.

The MOST IMPORTANT parts of Judge Mnguni's judgment are paragraphs 37 & 38. He says Dali is asking him to mess up the courts' hierarchy which will undermine "finality to legal decisions". This would be "judicial adventurism" leading to "whimsical orders".

A hermeneutical klap! pic.twitter.com/wFZWZwYbi1

— Eusebius McKaiser (@Eusebius) July 9, 2021

Mnguni had reserved judgement on Tuesday after he heard a long day of arguments from Zuma’s counsel, advocate Dali Mpofu, and advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, representing the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture.

Zuma will now have to wait for his contempt of court rescission application on Monday 12 July, after the former president handed himself over to the authorities on Wednesday evening.