South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma could be jailed for snubbing court orders to answer questions at an inquiry into systematic corruption during his presidency.

Raymond Zondo, the inquiry’s presiding judge, said that he would ask the country’s highest court to find Zuma, 78, in contempt and punish him with a prison sentence. The court had already ordered him to appear before the panel investigating sleaze during his nine-year tenure after he walked out part-way through giving evidence last year and refused multiple requests to return.

“The commission will approach the Constitutional Court and ask it to impose a term of imprisonment on Mr Zuma if it finds that he is guilty of contempt of court,” Zondo told the inquiry.

At least 40 witnesses.