Jacob Zuma: South Africa's ex-president eligible for parole in months

South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma will be eligible for parole after four months of his 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court, the justice minister says.

Zuma handed himself in to police on Wednesday to begin his jail term at a prison in KwaZulu-Natal province.

He was sentenced last week after failing to attend an inquiry into corruption during his presidency.

Zuma, 79, denies corruption and has not co-operated with the legal process.

The jailing of a former president is unprecedented in South Africa, which has been gripped by Zuma's legal turmoil.

On Thursday Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said this was a time for restraint, not celebration, and promised Zuma would be treated like any other prisoner.

In accordance with South Africa's prison regulations, "the former president will be eligible for parole once a quarter of his sentence has been served", Mr Ramola told reporters.

Zuma was admitted to the Estcourt Correctional Centre, about 175km (110 miles) from his rural homestead in Nkandla in eastern South Africa.

Mr Ramola said Zuma would spend the first two weeks of his sentence in isolation in line with Covid-19 regulations.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: Reuters