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A30 world news
Diasabra 18 september 2021

South Africa: Top court upholds ex-president’s jail sentence

ness after serving two months participate in the Constitu- for much of his political ca-
of his sentence. His release tional Court proceedings that reer, also faces corruption
from prison has been ques- led to him being sentenced charges in a separate case,
tioned by opposition parties and then attempted to reopen where he is accused of tak-
who say procedure wasn’t the case after it was conclud- ing bribes in connection
followed. ed. with South Africa’s $4 bil-
lion arms deal in 1999 with
The latest judgment doesn’t “The hands of the Constitu- French manufacturer Thales.
affect Zuma’s parole, al- tional Court are bound and His corruption trial, which
though South Africa’s main Mr. Zuma himself bound opened in May, is due to re-
opposition party and at least them,” Justice Khampepe sume next week.
two other organizations have said.
indicated they will challenge Both cases against Zuma have
that in court as well after Zuma’s imprisonment tested South Africa’s resolve
the head of the department sparked violent riots and to bring an influential figure
of corrections said he over- looting in his home prov- to justice after years of allega-
(AP) — South Africa’s from 2009-2018. ruled a decision by the parole ince of KwaZulu-Natal and tions of wrongdoing.
highest court on Friday board and authorized Zuma’s the Gauteng province, South
denied an application by Zuma, who was forced to release himself. That will put Africa’s economic hub, in Ramaphosa, who succeeded
former president Jacob resign as president in 2018 the judiciary back in the spot- one of the country’s most Zuma, made a drive to root
Zuma to rescind his sen- amid corruption allegations, light. uncomfortable moments out corruption the center-
tence of 15 months in jail still has significant support since the end of apartheid in piece of his presidency. Ace
for contempt of court in in parts of South Africa and Justice Sisi Khampepe read 1994. More than 300 people Magashule, another powerful
a ruling viewed as a stern within the ruling African Na- out Friday’s judgment at the died, malls were looted and figure and the ruling ANC
test of the country’s re- tional Congress party. Constitutional Court in Jo- factories and warehouses party’s secretary general, also
solve to hold powerful fig- hannesburg and said it was were burned in what current faces corruption charges and
ures to account. He was jailed in July after a a majority decision of 7-2 President Cyril Ramaphosa will go on trial.
long-running dispute with judges to uphold Zuma’s described as an orchestrated
The Constitutional Court the judicial commission of sentence. Zuma argued his attempt to destabilize Africa’s Zuma is currently being
judgment upheld its own rul- inquiry, which saw him walk sentence was improper be- most developed economy. treated at a hospital, accord-
ing that Zuma should go to out midway through testi- cause, among other things, ing to his foundation, which
prison for refusing to testify mony and refuse to appear he had been jailed without The riots raised concerns has refused to disclose his
at a commission of inquiry again. trial and the sentence was de- Zuma might be spared jail whereabouts, when he will
into widespread corruption livered in his absence. and the justice system over- be discharged or if he will at-
in government and at state- The 79-year-old Zuma has ridden to appease his sup- tend court for the scheduled
owned companies while he since been granted medical In their ruling, the seven porters. resumption of his corruption
was president of South Africa parole for an undisclosed ill- judges said Zuma refused to Zuma, a contentious figure trial.

US envoy: Qatar plane takes more Americans from Afghanistan

(AP) — A Qatar Airways work. confirmed that the plane de- promises by Afghanistan’s
flight on Friday took more parted Kabul on Friday and new rulers to guarantee girls Earlier this month, the Tal-
Americans out of Afghan- U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters that officials equal access to education and iban declared their interim,
istan, according to Wash- tweeted he was “grateful that were still trying to determine harkened back to their past all-male government — de-
ington’s peace envoy, the more Americans were able how many Americans, green harsh rule. Since taking over, void of any women or mem-
third such airlift by the to leave on a Qatar Airways card holders or holders of the Taliban have only allowed bers of the country’s minori-
Mideast carrier since the flight.” There was no imme- special immigrant visas for women back to work in the ties. The 33-member Cabi-
Taliban takeover and the diate information how many Afghans were on the flight health sector and as teachers net is stacked with veterans
frantic U.S. troop pullout Americans were on the flight. heading to Doha, the Qatari in grades one through five. of the Taliban’s hard-line rule
from the country. capital. from the 1990s and the 20-
An Afghan official said more At a news conference last year battle against the U.S.-
The development came amid than 150 passengers were on Qatar Airways’ first flight out week, the Taliban minister led coalition.
rising concerns over the fu- the flight, though it was not of Kabul with the cooperation for higher education, Abdul
ture of Afghanistan under the immediately clear how many of the Taliban was on Sept. 9, Baqi Haqqani, had said class- This is unlikely to win the
Taliban. The country’s new were Americans. In the past the first such large-scale de- es would be gender segregat- Taliban the international sup-
Islamic rulers on Friday or- one week, more than 300 parture since the U.S. forces ed but that girls would have port they desperately need
dered that boys but not girls foreign nationals as well as withdrew on Aug. 30. There the same access to education to avoid an economic melt-
from grades six to 12, and U.S. green card holders and have been several chartered as boys. down.
male teachers but no women Afghans with special visas flights since, including by
teachers return to school and have left Afghanistan. The Pakistan International Air-
resume classes, starting Sat- official spoke on condition lines, to airlift foreigners and
urday. of anonymity because he was Afghans desperate to leave
not authorized to speak to the and fearing the Taliban, and a
The statement, posted on the media. few commercial flights out of
Facebook page of the now Kabul International Airport.
Taliban-run education min- He said more flights were ex-
istry, underscored fears that pected on Saturday, includ- Porter said that in all, “be-
the Taliban might again im- ing another Qatar Airways tween the charter flights and
pose restrictions on girls and flight. It’s unclear how many overland crossings, a total of
women. Since taking pow- American nationals are still 36 U.S. citizens” have left
er, the Taliban had allowed in Afghanistan, but Khalilzad Afghanistan since the U.S.
girls in grades one to six to tweeted “we remain commit- troop pullout.
resume classes. When they ted to get them out if they
ruled Afghanistan previously want to come home.” The Taliban order for the
in the late 1990s, the Taliban boys and male teachers to re-
banned girls and women U.S. State Department turn to junior high and high
from attending school and spokeswoman Jalina Porter schools went against earlier