S. Africa's Zuma given medical parole
China DailyFormer South African President Jacob Zuma speaks to supporters after appearing at the High Court in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, May 17, 2021. JOHANNESBURG-Former South African president Jacob Zuma, jailed for 15 months in July for contempt of court after snubbing graft investigators, was placed on medical parole on Sunday just two months into his term, prison authorities announced. The Department of Correctional Services said in a statement on Sunday that Zuma's "medical parole "took effect on Sunday and he will serve the rest of the 15-month prison sentence outside jail. The prison authorities appealed to South Africans to "afford Mr Zuma dignity as he continues to receive medical treatment". Meantime, Zuma's long-running corruption trial over an arms deal dating back more than two decades was last month postponed to Thursday, pending a medical report on his fitness to stand trial.