South Africa: Jacob Zuma urges court to stop his arrest

Former president is challenging a 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court.

South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma has urged a regional court to block his arrest as he pursues legal challenges against a prison sentence. The development came on Tuesday, a week after the constitutional court sentenced Zuma to a 15-month jail term for contempt of court after he defied an order to give evidence at a corruption inquiry in February. The court instructed police to arrest Zuma by the end of Wednesday if he did not hand himself in, sparking an angry reaction from Zuma’s supporters and laying bare deep divisions in the governing African National Congress (ANC) party.