South Africa's jailed ex-President Zuma admitted to hospital

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - Jailed former South African President Jacob Zuma has been admitted to a hospital outside the prison facility where he has been serving a 15-month sentence, authorities confirmed on Friday.

The Department of Correctional Services said the former head of state was moved from the Estcourt prison for medical observation.

Zuma's hospitalization comes a day after a high court in the southeastern city of Pietermaritzburg ruled that the 79-year-old would be allowed out of jail next week to attend his long-running corruption case in person rather than by video link.

The hearing will resume next Tuesday. He faces 16 charges of corruption, money laundering, tax evasion, fraud, and racketeering linked to a $2.5 billion arms deal dating to the late 1990s.

The charges were dropped in 2009 by former National Prosecuting Authority head Mokotedi Mpshe weeks before Zuma was elected president.

They were reinstated in 2018, marking one of the longest-running legal battles in the country.

Zuma was jailed last month for contempt of court leading to days of riots and looting in South Africa. The riots claimed over 200 lives and damages are estimated in the billions of South African rands.