By: Teddy Grant

Jacob Zuma, the former president of South Africa, turned himself in to police on Wednesday to begin his jail sentence for contempt of court, according to Police Ministry Spokesperson Lirandzu Themba.   

Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in jail after he didn’t appear in court regarding a corruption inquiry stemming from his time in office, CNBC reported. He served as South Africa’s president from 2009 to 2018.   

[JUST IN] The Police Ministry can confirm that former President of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma was placed in @SAPoliceService custody as in compliance with the @ConCourtSA judgement.

— Lirandzu Themba (@LirandzuThemba) July 7, 2021

Last month, Zuma pleaded not guilty in a separate corruption trial related to an arms deal from 1999 when he was deputy president.   

According to the New York Times, under Zuma, South Africa’s tax agency was gutted, business rivals were killed and secret agreements were made.

Zuma will be eligible for parole 4 months into his nearly year and a half-sentence, according to BNC.