The Constitutional Court on Tuesday imposed a 15-month sentence on former president Jacob Zuma for defying their order to appear before the Zondo Commission.
Delivering judgment, Constitutional Court Judge, Sisi Kampepe, said Zuma’s conduct amounted to a “blatant violation” of the Constitutional court order.
No person is above the law. An act of defiance has the potential to precipitate a constitutional crisis,” she said.
Zuma, who previously appeared before the commission to give evidence after several witnesses implicated him in state capture, earlier this year defied a Constitutional Court directive to appear before the commission to continue giving evidence.
At the time the former president said he was prepared go to jail than to testify at the commission.
In its application to the Constitutional Court, the commission said Zuma’s defiance warranted only a punitive order, and that the court should jail the former president for a period of two years.
The fact that Zuma was an influential member of society who is also a former president, Kampepe said, was an aggravating factor.
Zuma’s position in society, Kampepe said, meant that his defiance could incite others to defy the judiciary.
“The importance of public confidence in the judiciary can’t be overstated,” she said.
The court ordered that Zuma should hand himself over to police within five days.
