Former President Jacob Zuma will have to hand himself over to the nearest police station within the next five days to begin his 15 months jail term.
He was handed a direct imprisonment by the Constitutional Court on Tuesday morning for defying the court’s order to appear before the State Capture Commission.
The matter relates to his refusal to appear before the commission after losing his bid for the Chairperson of the commission Raymond Zondo to recuse himself.
Zuma was also ordered to pay the cost of the two counsels.
Zondo also wanted Zuma sentenced to two years in prison for defying summonses to testify before the Commission.
In handing down judgment, Acting Chief Justice Sisi Khampepe said: “To Mr Zuma specifically, his contempt is rebukable in the strongest sense. In determining the length of the sentence, the majority has considered the unique circumstances of this matter, the nature of the breach and the extent to which the breach is ongoing.”
“Not only has Zuma failed to dispute the contempt of court, he has also failed to contest the degree of the contempt. Instead, he has aggravated it. The majority judgment orders an unsuspended sentence of imprisonment for a period of 15 months.”
Former President Jacob Zuma contempt case judgment:
Zuma has been steadfast on his conviction that the judiciary is biased against him following an earlier ruling by the Constitutional Court that he should appear before the State Capture Commission.
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