Zuma to ‘address the nation’ on Sunday

The Jacob Zuma Foundation confirmed late on Friday night that the embattled former president would “address the nation” on Sunday in Durban. 

The exact time of Zuma’s address has not yet been confirmed. 

[UPDATE]

Friday:Rescission application in the CC to seek justice not sympathy.

Sunday Afternoon (time tba):Prez Zuma will adress the Nation in Dbn.

Tuesday:The PMB HC to hear an urgent application to interdict Min of Police from arresting Pres Zuma pending his CC application. pic.twitter.com/ppxgpIkzwm

— JGZuma Foundation (Official) (@JGZ_Foundation) July 2, 2021

Sunday will mark five days since Zuma was sentenced to 15 months behind bars for being in contempt of the Constitutional Court. It is also the day he was meant to hand himself over to authorities. 

When the apex court sentenced Zuma to 15 months in jail on Tuesday, he was ordered to report to the Nkandla or Johannesburg police stations within five days to start serving his prison sentence.

ALSO READ: Zuma gets 15 months for contempt of court

News24 reported it was likely Zuma would be imprisoned at Westville prison in Durban. 

According to AFP, should Zuma to turn himself in by Sunday, police will be given a further three days to arrest him and take him to jail to start his sentence.

The foundation announced Zuma’s intention to address South Africa on Friday, after reports emerged that he intends to appeal his prison sentence. 

This despite the apex court making it clear he would not be able to appeal his sentence. 

Despite this, the Jacob Zuma Foundation said the Pietermaritzburg High Court will hear an urgent application to prevent Minister of Police Bheki Cele from arresting Zuma. 

‘Ill-advised’ 

Since his sentence being handed down on Tuesday, Zuma admitted he was wrong to think he could not be forced to appear before the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture. 

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

He said the legal path he had taken was due to the advice he received, and that he was ill-advised to follow it. 

“I now fully accept that the most legally appropriate route which I could and should have taken would have been to apply for interim relief to interdict my appearance before the commission,” Zuma said in court papers appealing his sentence.

Financial hardships also played a role in the legal decisions made by Zuma, he conceded. 

“My focus for not engaging the application of Commission to the Constitutional Court was based largely on the lack of finance to engage lawyers to focus on the urgency basis and in terms demanded by the Commission and accepter by the Constitutional Court.

“For obvious reasons, my criminal trial is a priority.”

READ NEXT: Zuma to appeal unappealable prison sentence – report

Compiled by Nica Richards.

Additional reporting by Siyanda Ndlovu and Charles Cilliers