Former president Jacob Zuma’s health status remains unclear as conflicting reports emerge about his hospitalisation this week, with family members contradicting the MK Party’s official statements.
The 84-year-old MK Party leader was reportedly taken to hospital on Tuesday after becoming unwell during a campaign event in KwaZulu-Natal. However, the party insists he simply attended a routine medical check-up and is in good health.
According to reports from eNCA and The Witness, Zuma arrived at a Pietermaritzburg hospital by ambulance after the rally. Independent sources told media outlets he was admitted to a private facility following the incident.
The MK Party released a statement on Wednesday saying Zuma had attended his twice-yearly routine medical check-up and was “healthy and in good spirits”. Party spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu told News24 that Zuma was “as fit as a fiddle” and had returned home to his family.
Mahlangu also said the former president’s election campaign would continue as planned.
However, Zuma’s brother Khanya painted a different picture on Thursday night, telling News24 that his brother was unwell and remained in hospital. “It’s not looking good,” he said, adding that the family was praying for his recovery.
A confidant close to Zuma also told News24 that the former president had “been sick these days” and was still hospitalised on Thursday.
Neither the MK Party nor the family has released details about any diagnosis or treatment. Business Day reported that Zuma’s medical care is typically handled privately through his family, medical team and the South African National Defence Force’s Military Health Service.
The confusion mirrors a similar incident in July 2025, when the MK Party denied rumours that Zuma had been hospitalised, with officials pointing to his healthy appearance at court proceedings.
Zuma was previously hospitalised in August 2021 while serving a prison sentence. He underwent surgery and later received medical parole, though the specific medical condition was never publicly disclosed. This decision later became the subject of legal challenges.
No medical bulletin or hospital-confirmed statement has been released regarding this week’s incident.
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