Zuma delays imprisonment, court agrees to hear his challenge

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (UPI) — After South African President Jacob Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison on contempt charges, South Africa’s constitutional court has agreed to hear his challenge to rescind the order.

The court delivered its imprisonment sentencing on Tuesday after Zuma failed to appear in a corruption inquiry led by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. He not only failed to show up to testify but also ignored the court’s contempt proceedings entirely.

Zuma was given until Sunday to turn himself in, after which the police were obliged to arrest him. The court, instead, agreed on Saturday to hear his application on July 12.

Zuma and his lawyers argued that “the sentence threatened his life and that the Constitutional Court‘s decision was unfair to their client,” according to CNN. Legal analysts say the application is unlikely to succeed but will buy Zuma more time.

Supporters of Zuma gathered around his home on Saturday. One supporter said that if Zuma was arrested, they would go to war.

“He ignored [the opportunities],” said Al Jazeera correspondent Fahmida Miller. “And now it seems just a day before he is supposed to hand himself over he is willing to talk to the Constitutional Court.”

Zuma was the first South African leader to be sentenced to prison on June 29. The corruption investigation is looking at various scandals that occurred during Zuma’s presidency between 2009 and 2018.

He has pleaded not guilty to corruption, fraud, racketeering, and money laundering charges and has said the inquiry is politically motivated.

Reporting by Zarrin Ahmed

United Press International

+ posts

United Press International is an international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the 20th century.

• United Press International

  https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com/author/upi/

  Amazon to hire 250,000 workers for holidays
• United Press International

  https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com/author/upi/

  14 dead after plane crashes in Amazon
• United Press International

  https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com/author/upi/

  Coinbase to lay off more than 900 employees
• United Press International

  https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com/author/upi/

  Samsung announces disappointing 3Q results