S. Africa's Jacob Zuma turns himself in to police

Former South African president Jacob Zuma turned himself in to police for contempt of court, a spokesperson confirmed Wednesday, ending a weeklong legal drama over a court order for his arrest.

Police had been ordered to arrest Zuma if he did not turn himself in by the end of Wednesday.

He had refused to do so earlier this week - striking a defiant tone by launching legal challenges against his arrest.

The Constitutional Court sentenced Zuma to 15 months in jail last week after he refused to comply with a corruption inquiry back in February.

Zuma denied widespread corruption under his presidency, and hundreds of his supporters, some of them armed, gathered nearby his rural estate to try and prevent his arrest.

But in the end, Zuma decided to go quietly, a remarkable turn of events for a revered veteran of the African National Congress liberation movement.

Zuma had previously been jailed by South Africa's white minority rulers for his part in the anti-apartheid movement.

The Zondo Commission, an investigation into Zuma launched in 2018, is examining allegations that he allowed businessmen to plunder state resources and traffic influence over government policy.

Both Zuma and the businessmen deny any wrongdoing.

Zuma also faces a separate court case relating to a $2 billion arms deal in 1999 when he was deputy president, charges which he denies.

The former president maintains that he is the victim of a political witch hunt and that Zondo is biased against him.