SOUTH AFRICA: Zuma given 5 days to hand himself over to police to start his 15-month jail term

Former President Jacob Zuma will have to hand himself over to the nearest police station within the next five days to begin his 15 months jail term.

He was handed direct imprisonment by the Constitutional Court on Tuesday morning for defying the court’s order to appear before the State Capture Commission.

The matter relates to his refusal to appear before the commission after losing his bid for the Chairperson of the commission Raymond Zondo to recuse himself.

Zuma was also ordered to pay the cost of the two counsels.

Zondo also wanted Zuma sentenced to two years in prison for defying summonses to testify before the Commission.

Reading the ruling, Acting Chief Justice Sisi Khampepe said: “To Mr. Zuma specifically, his contempt is rebukable in the strongest sense. In determining the length of the sentence, the majority has considered the unique circumstances of this matter, the nature of the breach, and the extent to which the breach is ongoing.”

“Not only has Zuma failed to dispute the contempt of court, but he has also failed to contest the degree of the contempt. Instead, he has aggravated it. The majority judgment orders an unsuspended sentence of imprisonment for a period of 15 months.”

The court has also ordered Zuma to hand himself over before Monday, 5 July.

However, Crime expert, Dr. Guy Lamb, told News24 that once Zuma handed himself over, he would effectively be arrested and then processed before being transferred to prison.

Lamb added that it was unlikely that Zuma would be treated the same as other people who handed themselves over to serve a prison sentence.

Meanwhile, If Zuma did hand himself over, then the national police commissioner would most likely instruct the provincial commissioner to take the necessary action.

The national intervention unit could also be called in to effect the arrest.

News24 had reported that Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma, indicated that her father would comply with the 15-month jail term and hand himself over at the Nkandla police station in KwaZulu-Natal.