South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma hands himself over to police

Former South African President Jacob Zuma has turned himself into police as he prepares to begin a 15-month sentence for contempt of court.

Former South African President Jacob Zuma has turned himself into police as he prepares to begin a 15-month sentence for contempt of court.

The former president was sentenced on June 29 to 15 months behind bars after failing to appear before a corruption inquiry centred on his time in office between 2009 and 2018.

Former President of South Africa, Mr. Jacob Zuma was on July 7, 2021, placed in the custody of the South African Police Service, in compliance with the Constitutional Court judgment," said Police Ministry spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said in a statement.

Zuma was found guilty of contempt of court and handed a 15-month jail term on June 29.

The order stemmed from Zuma's refusal to appear at an anti-corruption commission to answer questions about his alleged involvement in corruption during his time as president.

Zuma has repeatedly denied the long-running allegations of corruption against him.

On Friday, a High Court judge will rule whether police should have waited to bring him in until after a Constitutional Court hearing, due to take place on July 12, where his lawyers will argue mitigating circumstances in his sentence.