POLL | What do you think of Zuma’s decision to hand himself over?

Former president Jacob Zuma spent the first night of his 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court at the Estcourt Correctional Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.

This after he handed himself over to police on Wednesday evening, after a Constitutional Court order.

Zuma was handed the sentence by the ConCourt last week after he failed to appear at the state capture inquiry.

In a statement, the Jacob Zuma Foundation said the former president had “decided to comply with the incarceration order” and hand himself over.

His daughter, Duduzile, said her father was in “high spirits” when he left his Nkandla homestead to hand himself over.

“He said that he hopes they still have his same overalls from Robben Island and we laughed hard that at least he won’t struggle with Afrikaans this time round,” she wrote on Twitter.

Zuma did not hand himself over on Sunday as ordered to, so midnight on Wednesday was the deadline for the police to make sure the arrest warrant was executed.

Police ministry spokesperson Lirandzu Themba confirmed that Zuma was in custody.

“The police ministry can confirm that former president Jacob Zuma was placed in custody in compliance with the ConCourt judgment,” she said.

The department of correctional services (DCS) said Zuma will go through all the admission processes as per the department's regulations.

“Other relevant prescripts pertaining to admitting and orientating newly incarcerated persons will also be followed and executed,” said the department.

“Details about the appropriate classification, prerogatives and incarceration conditions can only be determined at the completion of the assessment process to be undertaken by relevant authorities within the employ of DCS.

“Keeping inmates in a safe and secure custody remains cardinal to correctional services and we remain committed to this cause.”