South Africa’s Supreme Court agreed to hear former President Jacob Zuma’s challenge to his 15-month sentence for contempt of court.

The South African Constitutional Court has agreed to hear the challenge of former President Jacob Zuma’s revocation of the 15-month imprisonment sentence for contempt of court.

The Constitutional Court sentenced Zuma 15 months in jail On Tuesday, he failed to attend a corruption investigation led by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in February.

The former president was asked to surrender before the end of Sunday, after which the police will have to arrest him. But the court agreed on Saturday to hear his application on July 12.

Al Jazeera reporter Fahmeda Miller reported in Encandela, South Africa, that instead of “surrendering before tomorrow or facing arrest in the next few days… Jacob Zuma will return or at least appear in the Constitutional Court for the first time to defend himself” Yourself. “

Miller said that before sentencing, the leader had different opportunities to express his concerns.

“He ignored [the opportunities],” Miller said. “It seems that he is willing to talk to the Constitutional Court just the day before he should surrender himself,” she added.

Zuma called this sentence a “political statement of punishment.” He insisted that he was a victim of political persecution, and Zongdo had a prejudice against him.

In his application for revocation of the decision submitted on Friday, Zuma said that imprisonment “will put him at the highest risk of death from a pandemic” because he is nearly 80 years old and in poor health.

Thousands of his supporters, mainly members of the Umkhonto Wesizwe military branch of the African National Congress, have camped outside his home in KwaZulu Natal province for several weeks.

On Saturday, hundreds of people marched with Zuma in Zuma’s hometown of Encandela.

“They can give Zuma 15 months… or 100 months. His son Edward Zuma told Reuters at the rally that he would not serve a single day or a minute in prison. “They must put their hands on him. Killed me before. “

Zuma did not talk to his supporters but is expected to speak to them on Sunday. He wore a black and gold tropical shirt as he walked through the crowd, but did not wear a mask. He is guarded by people dressed in traditional Zulu warrior costumes, wearing leopard skins, holding spears and oval cowhide shields.

Tensions have been heating up this week as members of the Umkhonto Wesizwe Veterans Association (MKMVA) threatened that the country would be unstable if the former leader was arrested and promised to form a human shield around Zuma.

Fearing a showdown, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) said it had postponed the Supreme National Executive Committee meeting this weekend.

Convoys of many provincial local leaders, including ANC Secretary Natal Mdumiseni Ntuli of KwaZulu and provincial governor Sihle Zikalala, appeared on the homestead.

Zuma ally Karnihaus told AFP that the former president met with spiritual leaders at his residence on Saturday.