Zuma: South Africa s charismatic, yet divisive ex-president
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08/07/2021 - 06:18 Charismatic and jovial, South Africa s ex-president Jacob Zuma was ousted by his own ANC party over accusations of corruption Emmanuel Croset AFP/File 3 min
Johannesburg (AFP)
South Africa s ex-president Jacob Zuma, once jailed for fighting the apartheid regime, is returning to prison, this time for contempt after handing himself in to authorities.
He was jailed for 15 months for snubbing an anti-graft judicial inquiry commission.
Charismatic and jovial, he fell from grace before the end of his second term in 2018, ousted by his own ANC party over accusations of corruption. He was replaced by the current President Cyril Ramaphosa.
South Africa s ex-president Jacob Zuma starts serving jail term
Thursday July 08 2021
Summary
Prison authorities confirmed that Zuma has been admitted to start serving a 15 months sentence at Estcourt Correctional Centre in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal.
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Former president Jacob Zuma turned himself into prison early Thursday to begin serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of the country s highest court, officials said.
Prison authorities confirmed that Zuma has been admitted to start serving a 15 months sentence at Estcourt Correctional Centre in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal.
It is the first time a former president has been jailed in post-apartheid South Africa.
[AS IT HAPPENED] High drama in Nkandla as Zuma hands himself over Updated
Christelle du Toit
AFP
It was a night of high drama in Nkandla, the homestead of former President Jacob Zuma, as the deadline approached for him to go to jail.
Zuma was sentenced to jail time after refusing to appear at the Stae Capture Commission of Inquiry and was supposed to hand himself over to the authorities by Sunday, 4 July, failing which the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, had three days to ensure he was taken into custody.
#Nkandla | A high-speed convoy has left Nkandla.
Speculation is rife that former president Jacob Zuma left with this motorcade but no sighting of him. #ZumaArrestpic.twitter.com/WSNdXUl84n Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) July 7, 2021