Satire: Jacob Zuma Prison Photos

Dina Faisal

Politics

9th July 2021

The images were digitally manipulated (Getty Images).

The Claim

Images depict former South African President Jacob Zuma in prison uniform after being arrested for contempt of court.

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Emerging story

Images of former South African President Jacob Zuma that depict him in prison uniform amongst other inmates are circulating on social media. This comes as the news reported he has been arrested for contempt of court and sentenced to 15 months.

A supporting image within the article body

Misbar’s Analysis

MENA: The images of the former president are doctored for the purpose of satire. While it is true that Zuma was arrested for contempt of court while on trial for corruption charges, no genuine images of him in prison have been released. Other images of Zuma have since leaked on social media that show him getting checked in. The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said that they were stolen from a camera and that the matter is being investigated, and urged people not to share them.

While some citizens are joyous over the news of the arrest, it has also sparked nationwide protests by Zuma supporters. Many national roads in the President’s home province, KwaZulu-Natal, were closed for protests. Besides making global headlines, the arrest was trending on Twitter using the hashtags #KZNShutdown #FreeJacobZuma, with almost 50 thousand tweets and 70 thousand tweets, respectively.