Zuma to ‘address the nation’ ahead of prison stint, says foundation

The Jacob Zuma Foundation has announced the former president will “address the nation” this weekend as the countdown for him to start serving his prison sentence continues.

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While it is unclear when exactly Zuma will deliver his address, but foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi told  The Citizen on Friday that a statement would be released.

Appeal

This also comes after reports emerged that Zuma intends to appeal his 15-month prison sentence despite the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) this week making it clear that the former president would not be allowed to do so.

The ConCourt is South Africa’s apex court, also known as a court of last instance. This means its judgments cannot be appealed.

Zuma is said to have instructed his legal team, led by advocate Dali Mpofu, to appeal despite the former president previously saying he didn’t fear being arrested.

News24 reported that they intend to file an urgent application in the Pietermaritzburg High Court to stay his arrest, which was meant to happen by this weekend, along with the filing of an urgent application for rescission of the apex court’s judgment.

The publication has also reported that Zuma is likely to be imprisoned at Westville prison in Durban.

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On Tuesday, the ConCourt found Zuma guilty of contempt of court and sentenced him to 15 months imprisonment for failing to appear at the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture to testify.

Acting Chief Justice Sisi Khampepe delivered a majority judgment on Tuesday ordering that Zuma start serving a 15-month jail term within five days.

The majority of the judges held that Zuma’s public outbursts before and after the contempt proceedings had warranted the sanction of imprisonment.

Zuma’s supporters at Nkandla

Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) spokesperson Carl Niehaus, a staunch supporter of Zuma, will be holding a press conference outside Zuma’s Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday at 4pm.

The MKMVA had previously indicated that it will oppose any attempt to arrest Zuma for his stance against the ConCourt and the commission.

At the moment Zuma’s supporters have massed at Nkandla, in breach of Covid-19 disaster regulations, to support the former president,  threatening that they would use violence to prevent his arrest.

His children have also joined the protest, with the level of angry rhetoric increasing with every day.

The ConCourt also ordered Minister of Police Bheki Cele should take action in three days to arrest Zuma, should he fail to hand himself over to start serving his sentence.

Additional reporting by Charles Cilliers

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