Africa High Court agrees to hear Zuma’s case in jail | The Story of Jacob Zuma

South Africa’s Supreme Court has ruled in favor of former President Jacob Zuma’s 15-month trial of defamation.

South Africa’s Constitutional Court has agreed to hear former President Jacob Zuma’s decision to change a law that puts him in prison for 15 months on contempt of charge.

The Constitutional Court has ordered Zuma to 15 months in prison Tuesday for failing to appear on fraudulent inquiries led by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in February.

The former president was given until the end of the week to surrender himself, after which the police would have to arrest him. But the court agreed on Saturday to hear his application on July 12.

Al Jazeera journalist Fahmida Miller, reporting from Nkandla, South Africa, said that instead of appearing in person tomorrow or being arrested in the coming days … Jacob Zuma will return or see for the first time in the Constitutional Court himself. ”

Miller said that before the verdict, the president had had a number of opportunities to express his views.

“She is OK [the opportunities]”Miller said.”

Zuma called the ruling a “political statement of fair punishment”. He also said that he was politically motivated and that Zondo was biased.

In his appeal against the verdict handed down on Friday, Zuma said going to jail “could put him at greater risk of death” from the epidemic because he is about 80 years old and is ill.

Thousands of his supporters, mostly members of the African National Congress’ Umkhonto we Sizwe military wing, have been camping outside his home in KwaZulu-Natal for several weeks.

On Saturday, hundreds of them traveled with Zuma to his hometown of Nkandla.

“They can give Zuma 15 months or 100 months. He will not serve for one day or one minute,” their son Edward Zuma told Reuters news agency at the conference. “They must have killed me before they could lay their hands on him.”

Zuma, who did not speak to his supporters but is expected to speak to them on Sunday, wore a black and gold shirt while walking around the party, but did not wear a mask. They were protected by men dressed as Zulu warriors, wearing leopard skins and carrying spears with cowhide shields.

Trouble has been raging this week as members of the Umkhonto Wesizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) have threatened to change the country if the former president is caught, promising to create a human shield around Zuma.

Fearing protests, the African National Congress (ANC) governing body has suspended a meeting scheduled by its National Executive Committee this week.

Several complaints from regional leaders, including ANC KwaZulu-Natal secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli and prime minister Sihle Zikalala were seen at the house.

Zuma’s ally Carl Niehaus told AFP that the former president was at his home to meet with religious leaders on Saturday.