Former South Africa president, Jacob Zuma sentenced to 15 months

South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma has been sentenced to 15 months by the highest court in the country.

This came after the Constitutional Court found him guilty of contempt after defying the court’s order to appear at an inquiry into corruption while he was president.

Mr Zuma’s time in power, which ended in 2018, was dogged by graft allegations.

Businessmen were accused of conspiring with politicians to influence the decision-making process.

The former president made one appearance at the inquiry into what has become known as “state capture” but then refused to appear subsequently.

The inquiry – headed by Justice Raymond Zondo – asked the Constitutional Court to intervene.

It is not clear if Mr Zuma will now be arrested.

In a separate legal matter, Mr Zuma pleaded not guilty last month in his corruption trial involving a $5bn (£3bn) arms deal from the 1990s.

He is facing 16 counts of racketeering, corruption, fraud, tax evasion and money laundering.

The arms deal involved buying new fighter jets, helicopters, submarines and warships.

But questions emerged about the deal months after it was signed, with some critics saying the government should have spent the money on fighting poverty.

Mr Zuma was South Africa’s president from 2009 until 2018 when he was forced to resign after a vote of no confidence.