A former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, has been released from prison today after completing his 15-month prison term.

Zuma was sentenced in June last year after he ignored court ruling to participate in the state capture inquiry. He handed himself in on July 7, triggering unrest that saw wide-scale looting and destruction.

The former president was released on medical parole in September 2021, but in December, the high court set aside the parole decision and ordered he should be returned to jail. Zuma appealed the ruling and remained on parole pending the appeal outcome.

“Mr Zuma complied with his conditions for medical parole as set out during his placement,” the Correctional Services department said in a statement today.

It added, “All administrative processes have now been concluded and the sentence expiry date marks the end of him serving his sentence under community corrections.”

Zuma’s appeal had not been determined by the time his sentence expired.