On Tuesday, the top court of South Africa has sentenced Former President Jacob Zuma 15 month of jail. The sentencing came out as a result for the contempt of court after disobeying the court order for attending an inquiry of the corruption charges imposed on him during his presidency. South Africa’s top court Judge Sisi Khampepe stated that the Constitutional Court can do nothing as the former president is refusing the investigation, but the court can determine that “Mr Zuma is guilty of the crime of contempt of court”.
The 79-year-old ex-President Jacob Zuma has been accused of corruption allegation for allowing the plunder of State funds for the duration of his presidency where she served in office for around nine years. While sentencing Zuma, judge Khampepe said that this kind of non-cooperation and disobedience is unlawful and the individual is going to be punished. As of now, the court has given him five days to hand himself to the police and if he fails to do so, then the police minister has to follow the court order for his arrest.
The Constitutional Court found him guilty of contempt as he defied the court’s order for appearing to the inquiry investigators into the corruption charges that were imposed when he was the South Africa’s president. Jacob Zuma became the 4th President of South Africa on 9th May 2009. He continued serving as the President of the country till 14th February 2018. During these years (approx. ten years) of service, he has been charged with the corruption charges.
The court has earlier asked Jacob Zuma to appear before the commission of inquiry. The former president has so far made only one appearance at the investigation of the same corruption allegation but then he refused to appear in the further inquiry. As Zuma was not co-operating at all, the court was left with no choice but to sentence him to the prison for 15 months, the Judge Sisi Khampepe said. She further stated that by taking this step, he will send out necessary message to all those who take the law and administration lightly. At the end of the sentencing, she gave Zuma five days and ordered him to hand himself over within these days.
The court has strictly ordered the police to take necessary steps if Zuma don’t turn himself in to the officals with the given time period (five days) by the court. The officials have been advised by the court to capture Zuma by all necessary means within three days if the former-president fails to arrive during these five days of time period.
