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Former South African President Jacob Zuma handed over 15 months in prison to police on Wednesday in contempt of court, the end of a long legal drama seen as evidence of the post-apartheid country’s ability to enforce the rule of law. .
Police spokesman Lirandzu Themba confirmed in a statement that Zuma, who was president from 2009 to 2018, was in police custody, in compliance with last week’s Constitutional Court ruling.
The court sentenced Zumari to 15 months in prison in February for defying his order in an investigation into corruption during his nine years as president. Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo is leading the investigation.
Police said they would arrest Zuma if he did not show up at the police station by the end of Wednesday. Hundreds of his friends, some of them armed with guns, spears and shields, gathered around the farm in Nkandla (east South Africa) to try to avoid his arrest.
But in the end, 79-year-old Zuma decided to go quietly.
The convoy carrying Zuma was leaving his farm at high speed, 40 minutes before the deadline to surrender.
“Please be informed that President Zuma (former) has decided to comply with the order to enter the prison,” tweeted his foundation, as it was the first time that the Zuma camp had shown a willingness to cooperate with the court.
“KZN is on its way to accessing a Correctional Services Facility,” he added, a few minutes before the deadline.
It is a significant drop for a prominent veteran of the African National Congress, who was imprisoned by South African white minority authorities for participating in the fight to make everyone equal before the law.
Zuma’s daughter, Dudu Zuma-Sambudla, tweeted that she was “on the road and still in good spirits.”
“He said he hopes to have the same robe from Robben Island … We greet Dad!” he wrote on Twitter.
Zuma has denied that there has been widespread corruption in the years he has been in power and on Sunday issued a defiant note, suing judges and launching lawsuits against his arrest.
His lawyers on Wednesday asked the Constitutional Court to suspend the arrest warrant for police at midnight until it resulted in a challenge to the prison sentence.
Zuma had to be removed from office in 2018 and replaced by Cyril Ramaphosa after a nine-year term, tainted by corruption scandals and contamination by ammonites.
Critics nicknamed him “President Teflon” for his ability to sideline justice.
The Zondo Commission is investigating allegations that three Indian-born businessmen, Atul, Ajay and Rajesh Gupta, were allowed to plunder state resources and the impact of trafficking on government policy. He and his brothers Gupta, who fled to Dubai after fleeing Zumaia, denied wrongdoing.
Zuma also has a separate lawsuit related to a $ 2 billion arms deal when he was vice president in 1999. He has denied the allegations. The former president has maintained that he is the victim of a political witch hunt and that Zondo is against him.
People gathered outside the Zuma house in Nkandla, East South Africa, to show support for the former president [Rogan Ward/Reuters]
Despite his tarnished reputation, the former president carries a lot of weight among ANC officials and basic members.
Over the weekend, he told his supporters that there would be chaos if he “dared” to arrest police.
The former Herdboy was the head of the ANC’s intelligence in the armed struggle against apartheid.
Despite internal tensions, the ANC said it would not interfere with the judicial process.
A spokesman for the Pule Made party earlier told reporters that “we respect the independence of the judiciary.”
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