'Haters must heal': Duduzile declares 'President Zuma Day' amid her father's parole release

08 September 2021 - 11:00
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Former president Jacob Zuma and his daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla. File photo.
Former president Jacob Zuma and his daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla. File photo.
Image: Dudu Zuma-Sambudla/Twitter

Former president Jacob Zuma's daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, has hit out at “haters” for not being “happy” that her father will no longer serve out his sentence in prison.

Zuma was placed on medical parole on Sunday after the department of correctional services received a medical report on the former president's health.

He will complete the rest of his 15-month prison sentence in a “system of community corrections”.

In June, Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in jail for contempt of court and incarcerated at the Estcourt Correctional Centre in KwaZulu-Natal. He was handed the sentence by the Constitutional Court after failing to appear at the state capture inquiry.

Taking to social media, Duduzile shared several posts dedicated to her father and his release, saying “haters must heal”. 

“Haters must heal. It’s [former] President Zuma Day, all day!” she said in one post. 

“Every day is [former] President Zuma Day. Like it or not!”

Speaking to TimesLIVE this week, Zuma’s spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi said he was relieved at the former president's release, saying it means Zuma “can be with family and sleep in his own bed”. 

However, he stressed it did not make him a free man. 

“The development means that the man who has been incarcerated without trial and denied the right to appeal his verdict is now given an opportunity to be with his family, though under conditions. 

“This is a light at the end of a tunnel. At least he can be with family, sleep in his own bed and wake up and see his grandchildren,” said Manyi.

He said Zuma was still in hospital after undergoing surgery last month in a hospital outside the correctional centre.

“[Former] President Zuma is still in hospital but he is going to be engaging with his lawyers on a whole range of issues,” said Manyi.


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now