Photo: AFP
Photo: AFP
The Jacob Zuma Foundation has confirmed that corruption-accused former President of South Africa, has left his home in Nkandla to hand himself over to members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) on Wednesday 7 July. Zuma was found guilty of contempt by the Constitutional Court last week and failed to hand himself over to authorities within the mandated five day period, leaving Police Minister Bheki Cele with the right to enforce the arrest order.
It is not yet clear which facility he is going to hand himself over to. National SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo confirmed to The South African that Zuma is in custody.
“Yes he has been taken into police custody well ahead of the deadline,” he said
Zuma and his legal council tried in vain to launch a hail Mary plea to the Constitutional Court earlier on Wednesday, asking South Africa’s apex court to suspend the order to arrest the former President pending the outcome of two separate challenges levelled on Tuesday at the Pietermaritzberg High Court
Zuma hands himself over
In a tweet sent out shortly before the arrest deadline at midnight on Wednesday 7 July, the JG Zuma Foundation said that Zuma has ultimately decided to comply with the order and turn himself over to authorities.
“Please be advised that President Zuma has decided to comply with the incarceration order. He is on his way to hand himself into a Correctional Services Facility in KZN. A full statement will be issued in due course,” they said.
Motorcade leaves Nkandla
Bheki Cele’s spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said earlier on Wednesday that the Constitutional Court arrest order clearly mandated that Zuma should “be in custody by the end of the day”, despite Cele having stalled on moving in on the former President at his Nkandla home after he defied the command to hand himself over to authorities on Sunday.
A motorcade was seen speeding out of Nkandla after spending around two hours inside the homestead, with Zuma understood to have been inside one of the vehicles.
This is a developing story.
