Inside the jail housing South Africa's Jacob Zuma

 

South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma, who on Thursday began a 15-month sentence for contempt, is serving his term at a jail in Estcourt, a small livestock town in southeastern KwaZulu-Natal province.

Here are some facts about the town, the jail and and the prison regimen.

Located around 180 kilometres northwest of Durban, Estcourt was given its name in 1863 in honour of Thomas Estcourt, a British parliamentarian who sponsored settlers to migrate there.

The town is best known for its bacon factory, one of the oldest in South Africa and home to a popular brand of bacon and spare ribs, Eskort.

The Estcourt Correctional Centre is a medium-security prison which houses both youth and adult prisoners. Built in 1966, it was fully refurbished and re-opened in 2019 with state-of-the-art facilities.

The prison has a capacity to hold 512 inmates and a training centre to provide offenders with marketable skills for after their release. Prisoners have access to television and use of public phones. Mobile phones are prohibited.

The authorities insists Zuma will not be given any favourable treatment. He underwent standard medical checks and will spend the next 14 days in isolation in line with Covid-19 regulations, the Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said.     BY DAILY NATION