Former South African President Jacob Zuma surrendered to prison authorities late Wednesday to serve a 15-month sentence issued against him for contempt of court, as announced by an organization representing him. The organization tweeted just minutes before midnight, as the deadline set by the court for the convicted individual to surrender was approaching, stating that "President Zuma has decided to comply with the prison order. He is on his way to surrender to a prison in KwaZulu-Natal province."
Last week, the country's highest court issued a ruling that is not subject to appeal, sentencing Zuma to 15 months in prison. The court ordered the former president to surrender by Sunday evening under the threat of police arrest by midnight Wednesday (22:00 GMT). About half an hour before midnight on Wednesday, a convoy of ten vehicles left Zuma's home in Nkandla (east).
The former president requested the Constitutional Court to reconsider the ruling against him in a new session scheduled for July 12. He also requested a suspension of the arrest order until the session takes place, but the decision will not be made before Friday by the Pietermaritzburg court (east). Zuma questioned the neutrality of the judges and demanded a review of the sentence based on his "unstable" health condition, arguing that prison would represent a "death penalty" due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zuma also warned his supporters at a gathering on Saturday that there would be violence if police "dared" to arrest him. He is accused of embezzling public funds during his nine years in power. Since the establishment of a state capture inquiry in 2018, the former president has intensified his efforts to avoid testifying, which led to his sentencing for contempt of court.
