Embattled former South African president Jacob Zuma handed himself to the police on Wednesday night, ending a week-long drama that followed his sentencing to a 15-month jail term for contempt of court.
In a short statement, the Jacob Zuma Foundation said the former president had “decided to comply with the incarceration order” and handed himself in to prison authorities.
“He is on his way to hand himself into a correctional services facility in KZN (KwaZulu Natal),” the foundation said shortly before midnight on Wednesday.
The former president is believed to have been admitted to Estcourt Correctional Centre in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal.
He had previously tried to avoid going to prison by applying to the courts to revoke last week’s Constitutional Court ruling that sentenced him to 15 months in incarceration for ignoring an earlier order to appear before a commission investigating high-level corruption during his term in office between 2008 and 2018.
Zuma refused to hand himself in on Sunday and a deadline was imposed of midnight on Wednesday (22:00 GMT) for his arrest.
His supporters have protested against his arrest.
JN/APA