We will protect him against being sent to jail

Former president Jacob Zuma’s staunchest backers and family continued to appear to be at loggerheads in their defence on Tuesday as the Constitutional Court sentenced him to more than a year in prison for contempt of court.

This came as the judgment against Zuma was widely praised by opposition parties and civil society organisations, who said it was the vindication of the country's constitutional order and rule of law.

Zuma’s daughter Duduzile Zuma immediately took to social media after the ruling on Tuesday, indicating that the former head of state was in high spirits and had no fear of going to jail.

“Of course, we have chosen to be close to home. Lockdown or no lockdown we will escort you to serve your time,” Duduzile said.

However, Zuma’s spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi told Sowetan that Zuma was aggrieved by the court ruling as it was a “travesty of justice”.

“Right now he is still preoccupied with the travesty of justice where the two judges of the court said he should not have been given a custodial sentence in their minority judgment. We are still discussing with the lawyers on what to do, because we cannot appeal,” Manyi said.

Zuma’s foundation also announced that he could possibly address the nation after legal consultation.

Zuma’s staunch backers, the MKMVA, vowed to protect him against being sent to jail and that it would announce its “actions” in which it would register its outrage, while his son Edward Zuma said he would block the police from arresting him.

MKMVA spokesperson Carl Niehaus said the association would “oppose the imprisonment of president Zuma as a matter of legal, political and revolutionary principle”, in what appeared to be a hint to planned protests.

“MKMVA will communicate further with regards to the actions that we intend to take to register our outrage and fundamental opposition to the imprisonment of one of the greatest revolutionaries of our liberation Struggle, and the patron of the MKVA,” Niehaus said.