South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma begins jail sentence
Jacob Zuma, former president of South Africa, has handed himself over to police to begin a 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court.
Zuma was given the jail term last week, after he failed to attend a corruption enquiry.
He initially refused to hand himself in, but on yesterday The Jacob Zuma foundation confirmed in a short statement that the former head of state had decided to comply. The decision came after the police had warned Zuma would be arrested if he did not cooperate.
He has now been admitted to Estcourt Correctional Centre in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Sentenced
The 79-year-old former president was sentenced on 29 June after failing to provide evidence at an inquiry into corruption during his nine-year presidency.
Zuma had only testified once against the alleged ‘state capture’, the allegation that Zuma planned to take over the nation’s finances and loot the state coffins. He repeatedly claimed he is the victim of a political conspiracy.
Zuma has retained a loyal following despite being forced out of the African National Congress in 2018. Crowds gathered outside of his home in KwaZulu-Natal in an attempt to prevent his arrest on Wednesday.
Following the verdict, Zuma said that “sending me to jail during the height of a pandemic, at my age, is the same as sentencing me to death.”