The former president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court after failing to appear before a corruption inquiry earlier this year.
This comes after Zuma was found to have been in contempt of court when he defied an order to appear at corruption inquiry led by the deputy chief justice, Raymond Zondo, in February.
The inquiry is examining allegations of high-level graft during Zuma’s period in power. The veteran politician denies wrongdoing and has claimed Zondo is conducting a personal.
The government estimates more than 500 billion rands ($35 billion) were stolen from the state during Zuma’s rule, and at least 40 witnesses who’ve appeared before Zondo linked the ex-president to the looting spree. Zuma, who the ruling party forced to quit in 2018 to stem a loss of electoral support, has denied wrongdoing and says the allegations against him are part of a smear campaign.
Zuma, 79, who was the president for nearly nine years until 2018, was not present to hear the South African constitutional court deliver its ruling and sentence.
The judge ordered the former president to hand himself in within five days.
