Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has welcomed the Supreme Court of Appeal’s (SCA’s) decision to uphold the Gauteng High Court’s finding that former president Jacob Zuma’s medical parole was illegal.

The DA applied to the Gauteng High Court in September to review and set aside former Correctional Services Commissioner Arthur Fraser’s decision to place Zuma on medical parole.

Judge Tati Makgoka ruled that Zuma must return to the Estcourt Correctional Centre to finish serving his prison sentence.

“This SCA judgment is a victory for the DA on behalf of the people of South Africa. It is a victory for the rule of law, for the principle of equality before the law, and for accountability, all of which are essential prerequisites for a successful, prosperous society,” said Steenhuisen.

The DA pointed out that Fraser’s medical parole decision was unlawful because it was taken against the recommendation of the Medical Parole Advisory Board, which did not want to grant medical parole to Zuma.

The party went on to state that if left unchallenged, Fraser’s parole decision would have harmed the court and future decisions made by the judiciary.

It also lambasted President Cyril Ramaphosa for not challenging Zuma’s parole and for moving Fraser from the State Security Agency to Correctional Services.

“The president’s ulterior motive for allowing Mr Zuma to be placed on medical parole has become clearer with the benefit of hindsight. It was not only an attempt to placate the Zuma faction of the ANC for the sake of ANC unity, and to avoid another frenzy of mass destruction as happened in KZN in July last year after Mr Zuma was convicted. It was also aimed at stopping the president’s own smallanyana skeletons from tumbling out the Phala Phala closet, since Mr Fraser held the key to that closet,” Steenhuisen said.