The #FreeJacobZuma campaign said it will not go ahead with its gathering in support of former president Jacob Zuma, who had been expected to appear at the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday.
The department of correctional services on Friday announced that the 79-year-old former head of state was admitted to an outside hospital for medical observation. Zuma, who was sentenced last month to a 15-month jail term for contempt of court, has been medically supervised by staff from the SA Military Health Services since his admission at the Estcourt Correctional Centre last month.
Zuma was expected to appear for his arms deal corruption trial on Tuesday, but National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson advocate Mthunzi Mhaga confirmed on Monday that Zuma's legal team planned to “make a substantive application for a postponement, virtually”.
On Monday, the Jacob Zuma Foundation tweeted that the matter would be heard virtually at 10am on Tuesday.
“The #FreeJacobZuma campaign will await the outcome of this hearing to announce the continuation of plans for peaceful and lawful mobilisation and protest for the new date that will be set for the physical appearance of President Zuma in the so-called 'arms deal' trial,” the campaign said in a statement.
“Tuesday's postponement does not postpone, or impact , other peaceful and lawful protest activities that may be planned by various organisations and groupings in support of the immediate release of president Zuma, at different times and locations throughout the country,” it said.
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