Mixed reactions from political parties on Zuma’s ConCourt ruling

The United Democratic Movement (UDM) says that it will not interfere with the apex court’s decision regarding the matter of former President Jacob Zuma’s medical parole, but went on to say that now it’s the turn of the politicians to decide on the matter.

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa was reacting to the earlier dismissal by the Constitutional Court, of the Department of Correctional Services’ application for leave to appeal a ruling that Zuma must go back to prison.

Holomisa says that any further decision taken by politicians will not involve judges.

“The judges have done their work, and nobody is going to question them and so on. The apex court has taken a final decision. The ball now is on the side of the politicians. Any political decision taken by the government and by parliament of this country, in the interest of Zuma’s health, it will be the decision of the politicians and not judges. So, we will not be interfering. Zuma for instance, he can apply for parole, presidential parole, that’s political, judges won’t be involved.”

Legal analysis of ConCourt’s rulings on Zuma, Mkhwebane: Adv. Ben Winks

The Democratic Alliance(DA) says that Thursday’s ConCourt decision on Zuma is a major victory and shows that all are equal before the law.

The apex court earlier dismissed the Department of Correctional Services’ application for leave to appeal a ruling that the decision to grant Zuma a medical parole was unlawful.

DA leader, John Steenhuizen says that same rules and regulations should apply to all regardless of position.

“It’s a major victory for the principle of equality before the law which was the foundational principle of the rule of law in South Africa where it doesn’t matter if you’re a former president, or an ordinary citizen. The same rules, regulations, and stipulations must apply to everybody equally. I think the fact that Mr Zuma lost in the high court, and Correctional Services lost in the high court, they lost in the SCA, and now the Constitutional Court has confirmed that the medical parole was indeed unlawful.”

Meanwhile, legal expert, Advocate Ben Winks, says that the judgement by the Constitutional Court has been misinterpreted.

Winks says the SCA did not rule on time served by Zuma on medical parole