Jacob Zuma Heads Off to Jail

Former South African president, Jacob Zuma, has handed himself over to the police, marking the beginning of his 15-month jail sentence.

Last Tuesday, 29 June, Zuma was sentenced to incarceration by the Constitutional Court of South Africa for contempt of court. He was charged with this offense after he refused to appear at the Zondo Commission, which had been investigating alleged corruption during his presidency from 2009 to 2018.

The 79-year-old was given until 12AM on Thursday, 8 July, to turn himself in or be detained by the police. Although he initially refused to comply with the ruling, he departed from his Nkandla homestead on Wednesday night – just 40 minutes before the deadline.

According to reports, senior officers spent a few hours at his homestead, speaking to Zuma to negotiate his arrest. Ultimately, he was transported by a convoy of 40 cars to Estcourt Correctional Centre in KwaZulu-Natal province.

Zuma’s sentencing marks the first time that South Africa has ever had to jail a former president.

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