Johannesburg – Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said that government would be guided by the Constitution and the law following calls for former President Jacob Zuma to be released from prison.
The former president is serving a 15-month jail term for contempt after he shunned a directive by the Constitutional Court to appear before the state capture commission.
On Friday, the Free Jacob Zuma Campaign called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to release Zuma from prison within 14 days.
According to Section 84 of the Constitution, the president is allowed to grant a presidential pardon to prisoners who applied for it.
Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola said that even if Zuma applied for a presidential pardon, the law would guide the process for anyone.
“Anyone who might be aggrieved will have to follow the due process of the law to deal with the matter. And as we are aware, the former president is in the ConCourt dealing with the matter. So, we will continue to give that process a fair chance,” said Lamola.
