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ESTCOURT, KWAZULU-NATAL: Officials are seen at the Estcourt Correctional Centre, where former South African president Jacob Zuma began serving his 15-month sentence for contempt of the Constitutional Court, in Estcourt, yesterday. — AFP Zuma jailed after landmark ruling South Africa’s first post-apartheid president to be jailed JOHANNESBURG: Jacob Zuma yesterday began a 15-month legal strategy has been one of obfuscation and delay, ultimately weekend that he was prepared to go prison, even though “sending sentence for contempt of court, becoming South Africa’s first in an attempt to render our judicial processes unintelligible,” it me to jail during the height of a pandemic, at my age, is the same post-apartheid president to be jailed after a drama that cam- said. “It is tempting to regard Mr Zuma’s arrest as the end of the as sentencing me to death.” “I am not scared of going to jail for paigners said ended in a victory for rule of law. road” rather than “merely another phase... in a long and fraught my beliefs,” he said. “I have already spent more than 10 years in Zuma, 79, reported to prison early yesterday after mounting a journey,” the foundation warned. Robben Island, under very difficult and cruel conditions”. last-ditch legal bid and stoking defiance among radical supporters As the Wednesday deadline loomed, police were prepared to who had rallied at his rural home. His battle transfixed the country, Flawed president carry out the arrest order. Just minutes before midnight, Zuma left placing a spotlight on the issue of impunity and tensions within Born into poverty, Zuma started out as an uneducated herdboy his house in a convoy of cars speeding through dark rural roads the ruling African National Congress (ANC). who joined the ANC, becoming its intelligence chief in its anti- “to comply with the incarceration order” and hand himself in. South Africa’s top court on June 29 slapped Zuma with a 15- apartheid struggle. His charisma and courage, including 10 years But he may be back home before Christmas as he will be eligi- month term for refusing an order to appear before a probe into in jail on notorious Robben Island, placed him alongside Nelson ble for parole in just under four months. After visiting the prison, the corruption that entangled his nine years in power. As police Mandela, Oliver Tambo and other liberation heroes. Justice Minister Ronald Ramola said Zuma is in “very good spirits warned he faced arrest from midnight Wednesday, Zuma handed In 2009, he became democratic South Africa’s third president, and has taken his breakfast, ...his medication. He looks well and himself in to a jail in the rural town of Estcourt in his home but it proved to be a tenure darkened by divisions and the stench fine.” “He is being taken care of, his jolly good self, laughing,” province of KwaZulu-Natal. of corruption. In 2018, Zuma was forced out by the ANC and re- Ramola said. Many South Africans hailed his incarceration as a watershed placed by Cyril Ramaphosa, a former trade union leader who be- moment for the young democracy. Former corruption buster Thuli came a tycoon after apartheid was finally dismantled 30 years ANC stress Madonsela hailed it as “a giant development to the country’s rule ago. Investigators say that under Zuma, billions of dollars in state The drama has fuelled tensions with the ANC, where Zuma of law journey”. assets were siphoned off by cronies. supporters have clamoured for the defence of their hero while “But at a human level, it’s a sad moment because it’s something But their efforts to get Zuma to testify ran into a wall. Critics others have demanded the law be allowed to run its course. “Be that could have been avoided. We didn’t have to have a 79-year- labelled him the “Teflon president” for his perceived ability to strong now because things will get better,” Ace Magashule, a old former head of state and former liberation struggle stalwart sidestep justice. Zuma stalwart, and suspended ANC secretary general over fraud go to jail just because just he doesn’t want to be held to account,” charges, said in a tweet. she told AFP. Defiance “It might be stormy now, but it can’t rain forever. We soldier The opposition Democratic Alliance said, “the law cannot be Zuma had been given a deadline of Sunday night for turning on.” In a statement, the party said “without doubt this is a difficult mocked and challenged with impunity. If the leader can go to himself in. Failing his surrender, police were given three days-until period in the movement” but appealed for members “to remain prison, then so can anyone.” But, it cautioned, the contempt sen- midnight Wednesday-to arrest him. Zuma filed a last-ditch petition calm and respect the decision” taken by Zuma to abide by the tence did not address the wider corruption, fraud and racketeer- to overturn the arrest and pleaded with the Constitutional Court court rulings. Zuma also faces 16 charges of fraud, graft and rack- ing that proliferated under Zuma. to rescind its sentence. The court will hear the plea on Monday. eteering in an arms procurement scandal dating to 1999, when he The Nelson Mandela Foundation struck a similar note. “His Defiantly bucking the first deadline, Zuma declared at the was vice president. — AFP