Reported by Emily Tian
Former South African President Jacob Zuma has handed himself in to authorities to begin serving a 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court, just hours before the deadline. The sentence was handed down after Zuma was found guilty by South Africa’s highest court for defying orders to testify in an ongoing corruption investigation.
The 79-year-old Zuma, who served as president from 2009 to 2018, had initially resisted the arrest, with his foundation attempting to delay his imprisonment until after an appeal hearing scheduled for this Friday. Earlier on Wednesday, police officers spent hours negotiating with Zuma at his home. According to reports, the talks centered around the conditions of his arrest.
Finally, late in the evening, the Jacob Zuma Foundation announced that the former president had decided to comply with the court’s incarceration order. A tweet from the foundation confirmed that Zuma was on his way to the Estcourt Correctional Centre, a facility in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Zuma’s arrest marks the first time in the country’s history that a former president has been imprisoned. He is now in custody at the Estcourt facility, where he will serve his sentence.
The contempt charges stemmed from Zuma’s refusal to testify before a commission investigating widespread corruption during his presidency. The commission, led by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, is probing Zuma’s alleged role in the so-called “state capture” scandal, where private businesses, particularly the Gupta family, are accused of influencing government decisions for financial gain.
The charges against Zuma also involve a broader set of corruption and fraud allegations, including accepting bribes linked to the 1999 arms deal. He has denied any wrongdoing but has been dogged by legal challenges and accusations of corruption for years.
In 2018, after years of mounting scandal, Zuma was pressured by the African National Congress (ANC) to step down from the presidency. Zuma was facing a series of legal cases related to financial misconduct and his links to the Gupta family.
Zuma has long been a polarizing figure in South African politics, with a loyal base of supporters and detractors alike. He has consistently maintained his innocence, and his supporters have accused the judicial system of being politically motivated. However, his legal woes have continued, and his refusal to comply with court orders has led to his current imprisonment.
Zuma’s daughter, Dudu Zuma-Sambudla, tweeted that she had spoken to her father as he made his way to prison. She shared that Zuma expressed hope that his old prison overalls from his time at Robben Island would still fit him, adding a touch of humor during this grim moment.
Zuma has said publicly that sending him to prison at his age, during the COVID-19 pandemic, amounted to a death sentence. Despite his health concerns, officials have made it clear that Zuma will receive no special treatment while incarcerated.
He is expected to serve about a quarter of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. South African law dictates that inmates can be considered for parole after serving a quarter of their sentence, meaning Zuma could be released in just a few months. To ensure COVID-19 safety, Zuma will undergo 14 days of isolation as a precautionary measure.
This case has been a significant moment in South African history, marking the first time a former president has faced imprisonment for legal violations. The scandal surrounding Zuma’s presidency continues to cast a long shadow over the country’s political landscape.
