Former president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma sent to prison

79-year-old former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma has been sentenced to prison for contempt of court.

Naija News reports Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison on Tuesday for refusing to appear before an anti-corruption panel investigating corruption charges against him.

The former President was sentenced to prison based on an order by acting Chief Justice Sisi Khampepe in a ruling in Johannesburg.

“The Constitutional Court can do nothing but conclude that Mr Zuma is guilty of the crime of contempt of court,”
Khampepe said.

“This sends an unequivocal message in this our constitutional dispensation, the rule of law and the administration of justice prevails,” the Judge also noted.

It will be recalled that Jacob Zuma was accused of aiding and abetting the plunder of state funds during the nine years he led South Africa, and was forced to step down in 2018.

Over 500 billion rand ($35 billion) was allegedly stolen from the government under the watch of Zuma prompting the South African Constitutional Court in January to order him to respond to questions from a judicial commission headed by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.

But the former president repeatedly shunned the invitation after accusing the court and Zondo of bias, hence the decision of the panel to file contempt charges against him.