Former South African president Jacob Zuma, who began a 15-month term for contempt on Thursday, will be eligible for parole in little under four months, according to authorities.
According to the country’s penal standards, “once a quarter of his sentence has been served, the former president would be eligible for release,” Justice Minister Ronald Lamola told reporters.
Zuma announced in front of the Estcourt prison in KwaZulu-Natal province that he “would be afforded dignity throughout his sentence of captivity.”
Zuma turned himself in to the police overnight to begin serving his term in the jail in a small country community.
The Constitutional Court handed down the punishment on June 29 after Zuma refused to appear before anti-graft investigators.
Zuma, who is in “excellent spirits,” would be held in isolation for the first 14 days of his incarceration, according to Covid-19 standards, according to the minister, who added that he will not receive “any special care.”