South Africa's Constitutional Court issued the ruling following an appeal by the inquiry's lawyers who sought the court's intervention over Zuma's absence in the corruption inquiry led by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.

“The Constitutional Court can do nothing but conclude that Mr Zuma is guilty of the crime of contempt of court,” judge Sisi Khampepe said on Tuesday, reported Al Jazeera.

“This kind of recalcitrance and defiance is unlawful and will be punished,” Khampepe said, the report added.

Zuma has been accused of facilitating the plunder of state exchequer during his tenure as the president of South Africa.

“I am left with no option but to commit Mr Zuma to imprisonment, with the hope that doing so sends an unequivocal message … the rule of law and the administration of justice prevails.

“The majority judgement orders an unsuspended sentence of imprisonment for a period [of 15 months],” she declared, ordering Zuma to surrender himself within five days, the Al Jazeera report quoted.

Zuma was removed by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in 2018. Faced by mounting criticism, he had set up commission of inquiry shortly before his removal.

But he appeared only once in July 2019 before staging a walkout days later, accusing the commission’s Zondo of bias, according to the Al Jazeera report.