During the early hours of this morning, the stillness in Macfarlane Street was disturbed as a high-profile prisoner was accepted at the Estcourt Correctional Services Centre.
Former president Jacob Zuma handed himself over to police and left his Nkandla home at around midnight (July 7) and travelled in convoy to Estcourt.
This was confirmed by a tweet sent by the Jacob Zuma Foundation, which read:
“Dear South Africans and the World. 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.”
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The former statesman was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court after he did not appear before the State Capture Commission of Inquiry.
Spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) Singabakho Nxumalo confirmed this morning (July 8) that “Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma has been admitted to start serving a 15 months sentence at Estcourt Correctional Centre, KwaZulu-Natal.”
“Mr Zuma will be taken through all the admission processes as per DCS regulations. Other relevant prescripts pertaining to admitting and orientating newly incarcerated persons will also be followed and executed. Details about the appropriate classification, prerogatives and incarceration conditions can only be determined at the completion of the assessment process to be undertaken by relevant authorities within the employ of DCS,” commented the department.
This is a developing story, stay tuned.
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