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JOHANNESBURG. — South Africa’s Constitutional Court sentenced former President Jacob Zuma to 15 months in jail for contempt of court following his failure to appear at a corruption inquiry earlier this year.

Zuma did not appear at the inquiry led by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in February, after which the inquiry’s lawyers approached the court to seek an order for his imprisonment.

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

Zuma, 79, is accused of enabling the plunder of state coffers during his nearly nine-year stint in office.

“This kind of recalcitrance and defiance is unlawful and will be punished,” Khampepe said.

“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.

“The majority judgement orders an unsuspended sentence of imprisonment for a period [of 15 months],” she declared, ordering Zuma to hand himself over within five days.

The commission of inquiry was set up by Zuma himself, under pressure over mounting scandals, shortly before he was removed in 2018 by the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

But he testified only once, in July 2019, before staging a walkout days later and accusing the commission’s Zondo of bias.

Judge Khampepe ordered Zuma to hand himself over to the police in Johannesburg or in Nkandla within five calendar days.

If “Mr Zuma does not submit himself… the minister of police… must within three calendar days of the expiry stipulated of the period… take all steps that are necessary and permissible in law to make sure that Mr Zuma is delivered to a correctional centre in order to commence the sentence,” said the judge.

Meanwhile, the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association is vowing to flock to Nkandla to stop authorities arresting Zuma.

The veterans’ president, Kebby Maphatsoe, says Zuma’s rights have been undermined and the Constitutional Court justices are not impartial.

“Want the transformation of the judiciary so it will be impartial. It doesn’t mean the view of the majority is always correct,” Maphatsoe said. “Sometimes, in the future, you will realise that the views of the minority were correct. You can’t undermine the view of the minority.”

His son, Edward, said  police will have to kill him if they want to get to his father.

“As Edward Zuma, I think my position has been known, and I still maintain my position that whatever decisions are taken by law enforcement agencies of this country, well they will have to kill me first before such thing is implemented,” he said.

“I will lay down my life for president Zuma. They are not going to take him to prison when I’m still alive. They will have to kill me first, I insist on that.”

The ANC said it has noted the judgment, 

“Without doubt, this is a difficult period in the movement and we call upon our members to remain calm. The meeting of the national executive committee [NEC], scheduled to take place this weekend, will reflect on implications and consequences of the judgment.

“We further reaffirm our commitment to upholding the rule of law and fulfilling the aspirations of our constitutional democracy,” party spokesperson Pule Mabe added.– Agencies