Rights groups hail imprisonment of South Africa's ex-leader

Human rights groups have welcomed the imprisonment of former South African President Jacob Zuma, who is serving a 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court

NKANDLA, South Africa -- Human rights groups have welcomed the imprisonment of former South African President Jacob Zuma, who on Thursday began serving a 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court after handing himself over to police minutes before a midnight deadline. Zuma was being held at the Estcourt Correctional Center in KwaZulu-Natal province about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from his rural home in Nkandla. Zuma, 79, was convicted and sentenced for defying a court order to testify before a judicial commission investigating widespread allegations of corruption during his 2009-2018 presidency. The commission has heard damning testimony from former Cabinet ministers and top executives of state-owned corporations that Zuma allowed members of the wealthy Gupta family to influence his Cabinet appointments and the awarding of lucrative state contracts.