Former South African President Jacob Zuma sentenced to 15 months in jail

South Africa's top court on June 29, 2021 sentenced former South African President Jacob Zuma to 15 months in jail for contempt of court. He has been given five days to hand himself into police, failing which the police minister will have to order his arrest.

The ruling came after the Constitutional Court found Zuma guilty of contempt for defying its order to appear at an inquiry into corruption charges while he was president. He was supposed to appear before the court in February to give evidence at the inquiry but he did not show up. 

The former President had made just one appearance at the inquiry but then refused to appear subsequently. The inquiry was headed by Justice Raymond Zondo, who then asked the Constitutional Court to intervene.

What is the inquiry all about?

• An inquiry, headed by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has been examining allegations of high-level graft during Zuma’s decade-long term in office between 2009 and 2018.

• However, the inquiry panel has faced years of resistance from Zuma. He appeared before the panel only once in July 2019 before staging walk-out days later, accusing the Chief Justice of bias. 

• Since then, he has ignored multiple invitations to reappear before the panel, often citing medical reasons and preparations for another corruption trial. Though he did present himself briefly in November 2020, he left before questioning and then ignored a court order to return to face the panel. 

• Zuma has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly declared that he was a victim of a giant political conspiracy. His repeated non-cooperation forced the panel to ask the Court to intervene for contempt.

The Sentencing

• The constitutional court judge read out the court's order, which said, “Mr Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is sentenced to undergo 15 months’ imprisonment.” The judge added saying that Zuma has to appear before police within five days.

• The court's Acting Chief Justice Sisi Khampepe was said "Mr Zuma refused to come to the court to explain his actions, and elected instead to make provocative, unmeritorious and vituperative statements that constituted a calculated effort to impugn the integrity of the judiciary."

• She said that "Zuma is guilty of the crime of contempt of court" and added saying, "I am left with no option but to commit Mr Zuma to imprisonment, with the hope that doing so sends an unequivocal message... the rule of law and the administration of justice prevails."

• Referring to his repeated refusal to cooperate with the inquiry panel, Khampepe said "This kind of recalcitrance and defiance is unlawful and will be punished. No person is above the law."

• Jacob Zuma was not in the court to hear the ruling. 

What are the allegations against Jacob Zuma?

• The allegations against Jacob Zuma include that he allowed businessmen close to him to plunder the state resources and influence policy and decision-making process. 

• Most of these businessmen left South Africa after Zuma was ousted from power in February 2018 by allies of his successor and the country's current president, Cyril Ramaphosa.

• Ever since Ramaphosa has been trying to restore investor confidence in Africa's most industrialised nation. However, he has faced opposition from the faction within the governing African National Congress party that is still loyal to Zuma.

Background

In a separate case, Jacob Zuma had pleaded not guilty last month in his corruption trial involving a five billion Dollars arms deal from the 1990s.