Jacob Zuma: Court Orders Former South African President To Return To Prison

A South African court sitting in Pretoria, has ordered that Jacob Zuma be returned to prison on the ground that his medical parole was unlawful.

The court ruled that the time he had spent out of prison should not be counted in his 15-month sentence.

The former South African president who was jailed for failing to appear before a corruption  inquiry committee was released on September 5, as a result of an undisclosed medical condition.

Prison authorities say his release on parole was compelled by a medical report, but his ailment has never been disclosed. It was however gathered that he had surgery after imprisonment.

79-year-old Zuma had handed himself over to the police in July after a public protests that led to loss of lives.

The court further ruled that the decision by the head of the correctional service Arthur Fraser, a known ally of Zuma, to release the former leader on medical parole has been reviewed, declared unlawful, and set aside.

Zuma's Lawyers have promptly appealed against the court order, which implies that there is no immediate expectation of him returning to prison.