FORMER PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA HANDS HIMSELF OVER TO SERVE 15-MONTH JAIL TERM

In terms of a Constitutional Court ruling, Jacob Zuma was meant to hand himself over to police on 4 June, failing which police had three days to arrest him.

FILE: Former South African President Jacob Zuma removes his eyeglasses as he addresses the media at his home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal on 4 July 2021. Picture: Emmanuel Croset/AFP

Eyewitness News 

DURBAN - Former President Jacob Zuma was, at the last hour, taken in by police to begin his 15-month sentence. He will be spending the night behind bars at an unnamed correctional services centre in KwaZulu-Natal.

Police Ministry spokesperson Lirandzu Themba confirmed that Zuma was in police charge.

"The Police Ministry can confirm that former President of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma was placed in SA Police Service custody as in compliance with the Constitutional Court judgment," she shared through a tweet.

The Jacob Zuma Foundation sent confirmation at 11:47pm, saying a full statement would be issued shortly. A motorcade was seen leaving him home at 11:15pm on Wednesday night.

"Dear South Africans and the World. Please be advised that President Zuma has decided to comply with the incarceration order. He is on his way to hand himself into a Correctional Services Facility in KZN. A full statement will be issued in due course," it said through a tweet.

Zuma was meant to hand himself over to police on Sunday 4 June, failing which police had three days to arrest him, making the final deadline midnight on Wednesday.

On 29 June a scathing Constitutional Court judgment found him guilty of being in a contempt of a ruling that said he must appear and participate at the state capture commission and he was sentenced to 15 months behind bars.