This archive report was first published on 12 July 2021.
On Friday, July 9, 2021, the Pietermaritzburg High Court dealt a significant blow to former South African President Jacob Zuma's efforts to avoid imprisonment, dismissing his application for a stay of arrest.
Mr. Zuma had approached the High Court on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, seeking an urgent application to stay the warrant of execution for his arrest following a 15-month jail sentence handed down by the Constitutional Court for contempt of court.
However, Judge Bhekisisa Jerome Mnguni dismissed the application with costs, leaving Mr. Zuma to serve his sentence pending the outcome of his appeal to the Constitutional Court.
Mr. Zuma's lawyers will present their arguments to the apex court, hoping to persuade it to overturn the decision to jail the former head of state for contempt of court.
As he begins serving his sentence, Mr. Zuma maintains that his incarceration is politically motivated.
According to Justice Minister Ronald Lamola, Mr. Zuma will be eligible for parole after four months, but he will have to serve the stipulated non-parole period or a quarter of the sentence before being considered for parole.
The Department of Correctional Services has also stated that Mr. Zuma will be treated like any other prisoner, wearing the official orange overalls and following the same rules as other inmates.
