Johannesburg – The former president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, has handed himself over to police to serve his prison sentence.
This was confirmed late on Wednesday night by the Jacob Zuma Foundation.
The foundation said in a tweet, “Dear South Africans and the World. Please be advised that President Zuma has decided to comply with the incarceration order. He is on his way to hand himself into a Correctional Services Facility in KZN. A full statement will be issued in due course.”
Dear South Africans and the World.
Please be advised that President Zuma has decided to comply with the incarceration order.
He is on his way to hand himself into a Correctional Services Facility in KZN.
A full statement will be issued in due course.#WenzenuZuma— JGZuma Foundation (Official) (@JGZ_Foundation) July 7, 2021
The Constitutional Court last week found Zuma guilty of being in contempt of court for refusing to appear at the Zondo Commission and sentenced him to 15 months in prison.
Read more: Zondo Commission wants Jacob Zuma behind bars
The Police Ministry issued the following statement:
“The Police Ministry can confirm that former President of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma was on the 8th July 2021, placed in the custody of the South African Police Service, in compliance with the Constitutional Court judgement.”
This will be the second time that Zuma will be imprisoned.
He was arrested in 1963 and sentenced to 10 years in prison on Robben Island for conspiring to overthrow South Africa’s apartheid government.
After his release, he set up underground networks to recruit for Umkhonto we Sizwe.
Following the announcement, Zuma’s daughter, Dudu Zuma-Sambudla, took to Twitter and posted the following tweet:
Cdes, we celebrate the imprisonment of the Freedom Fighter @PresJGZuma
Cdes, we celebrate the incarceration of the only man who remained loyal to @MYANC. Cdes, no retreat, no surrender in fighting WMC and their proxy’s in our Leadership. Amandla ✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽!!! pic.twitter.com/SUgNzPmWEf— Dudu Zuma-Sambudla (@DZumaSambudla) July 7, 2021
Warrant of arrest for Jacob Zuma
Police Minister Bheki Cele has indicated, through the office of the State Attorney, that they would wait for Zuma’s applications to courts to be heard first before arresting him.
The police have until midnight, tonight to arrest the former president. According to reports, Cele is said to be waiting on a response from the letter sent to the ConCourt on whether or not to make the arrest.
“If there is no new direction, we do have a direction that ends at midnight on Wednesday. The direction is that if Mr Zuma does not hand himself [in], the police will have to arrest him,” Cele said in an interview with Newzroom Africa on Tuesday morning.
Zuma fought till the end to avoid prison
Earlier on Wednesday evening, before Zuma succumbed and decided to hand himself over, his lawyers wrote to the Constitutional Court in a last-ditch effort to avoid their client, Zuma, spending time behind bars.
Ntanga Nkuhlu Attorneys, wrote to acting chief justice Raymond Zondo asking him to issue a directive stopping the police from arresting him as the midnight deadline looms.
The Foundation wishes to inform the Nation that a letter has been sent to the Constitutional Court to issue a directive prohibiting the execution of the Arrest Order pending the outcome of all legal processes.#WenzenuZuma
— JGZuma Foundation (Official) (@JGZ_Foundation) July 7, 2021
In the letter, Zuma asked for the police not to arrest him, pending his rescission application to the Concourt, which is scheduled to be heard next week, and an application before the Pietermaritzburg high court in which judgment is expected on Friday.
View an extract from the letter below:
The ConCourt, however, did not respond in time and Zuma was left with no choice but to be arrested by police or hand himself over, which he eventually did.
Also read: Zuma will be arrested if police don’t hear from ConCourt before midnight
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