As immediate past President of South Africa refused to turn himself in an said he would appeal his jail term, supporters of the ex- President, have marched alongside the ex-President, Zuma, in his hometown to show further resistance against his 15 month jail term, for failing to appear at a corruption trial.
On Tuesday, the constitutional court found him guilty of contempt for defying its order to appear before an inquiry into corruption. However, the constitutional court then later agreed to hear his challenge to the 15-month jail term he was given.
“No need for me to go to jail today,” Mr Zuma told media at his home in Nkandla in Kwa-Zulu Natal province on Sunday. He said he had been “lambasted with a punitive jail sentence without trial” and that “South Africa is fast sliding back to apartheid rule”.
Zuma was seen in a black and gold tropical shirt as he walked through the crowd, and was guarded by men dressed as traditional warriors from his Zulu nation, wearing leopard skins and holding spears with oval ox-hide shields, VOA confirms.
In an application to annul the decision submitted on Friday, Zuma said going to jail “would put him at the highest risk of death” from the pandemic because he was nearly 80 and has a medical condition.
Zuma also called the sentence a “political statement of exemplary punishment.” He has maintained he is the victim of political witch hunt and that Zondo is biased against him.
The former President gave in to pressure to quit and yield to his successor, Cyril Ramaphosa, in 2018, and since then has faced several attempts to bring him to book for alleged corruption during and before his time as president.
His supporters dressed in Zulu traditional outfits, others in ANC T-shirts with his face on them, have been camping outside his home in Nkandla to form a human shield. The gathering by his supporters is actually illegal under the country’s regulations aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19.
The 79-year-old has repeatedly told his supporters that he doesn’t fear imprisonment, but behind the scenes his legal team is working around the clock to keep him out.
The court has said it will consider Mr Zuma’s appeal on 12 July. In the meantime, another appeal against the arrest order is expected to be heard by the high court of KwaZulu-Natal province on July 6. BBC reports.
