Foreign Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, was giving details of the conditions under which Mr Aristide had been granted asylum when he arrived on Monday.
“He is here really not as a refugee. He is here as a free person, a guest of this country. He is not a prisoner. He is not under house arrest. He is a free person, and he’ll remain so whilst he is in this country,” she said.
Announcing that a guest does not pay rent, the South African minister said Mr Aristide would be afforded the use of state housing, security and transport services, without any special arrangements.
South Africa has Mr Aristide, who insists he remains Haiti’s elected leader, is welcome to stay in Pretoria, until such time as stability returns to Haiti.
South Africa supports the 15-member Caribbean Community, Caricom in calling for an inquiry led by the United Nations into the exact circumstances that led to Mr Aristide’s departure from Port-au-Prince in February.
The former president claims that he was forced by the Americans to leave the country and was, in effect, the victim of a coup.
Washington has denied the claims saying the ousted president left Haiti voluntarily.
Mr Aristide?s stay in South Africa is not without controversy.
The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance has criticised the ruling African National Congress? decision to host the ousted president, saying that taxpayers should not be expected to fund his stay.