South Africa’s top court on Tuesday sentenced former President Jacob Zuma to 15 months in prison for contempt of court after refusing to appear before corruption investigators.
“There is nothing the Constitutional Court can do but conclude that Mr. Zuma is guilty of an offense of contempt of court,” Judge Sissi Khampepe said.
Zuma, 79, is accused of carrying out looting of the state exchequer during his nearly nine-year tenure.
“Such arbitrariness and disobedience is unlawful and will be punished for it,” said Khampepe.
“I have no choice but to sentence Zuma to imprisonment, in the hope that by doing so sends a clear message … the rule of law and the administration of justice prevail.”
Ordering Zuma to hand himself over within five days, he declared, “a majority decision has ordered a suspended sentence of imprisonment for a term (of 15 months).”
The commission of inquiry is headed by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
Under pressure from mounting scandals, the panel was set up by Zuma himself, shortly before he was ousted by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in 2018.
But he testified only once in July 2019, before walking out a few days later and accusing the commission’s Zondo of bias.
He then ignored several invitations to appear again, citing medical reasons and preparations for another corruption trial.
He presented himself again in November but left before being questioned, and Zondo asked the Constitutional Court to intervene.
Much of the corruption investigated by the commission involved three brothers from a wealthy Indian business family, the Guptas, who won lucrative government contracts and were reportedly also able to choose cabinet ministers.
Zuma is separately facing 16 charges of fraud, corruption and racketeering, related to the purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and military gear from five European arms firms for rand 30 billion in 1999, then about 5 billion. is equivalent to a dollar.
At the time of the purchase, Zuma was President Thabo Mbeki’s deputy.
He is accused of receiving bribes totaling 4 million rand from a firm called Thales, a French defense giant.
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