WEB DESK
South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma has been sentenced to 15 months in jail by the country’s highest court. He has been given five days to hand himself in to police. Failing that, the Police Minister must order his arrest.
The sentence comes after the Constitutional Court found him guilty of contempt for defying its order to appear at an inquiry into corruption while he was president.
Mr Zuma’s time in power, which ended in 2018, was dogged by graft allegations. Businessmen were accused of conspiring with politicians to influence the decision-making process.
The former President made one appearance at the inquiry into what has become known as state capture but then refused to appear subsequently.
The inquiry – headed by Justice Raymond Zondo – asked the Constitutional Court to intervene.
The former President was not in court to hear the ruling and has repeatedly declared that he was the victim of a giant political conspiracy.
In a separate legal matter, Mr Zuma pleaded not guilty last month in his corruption trial involving a five billion Dollars arms deal from the 1990s.