By Johnathan Paoli
Former president Jacob Zuma was admitted to a Pietermaritzburg hospital after falling gravely ill on Tuesday, but the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) said he was in good health and had gone for a routine medical check-up.
Zuma, 84, was admitted late on Tuesday night after falling ill earlier in the day following a campaign appearance in Msinga, northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The circumstances surrounding his admission and his condition prompted conflicting accounts on Wednesday, with the MKP disputing suggestions that he was seriously ill.
However, MKP spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu played down concerns that Zuma was seriously ill, saying he had gone for a scheduled medical check-up.
“The president goes and does routine check-ups at least twice a year. They check bloods and everything. We are told that he went for those check-ups. I think people saw his cars and convoy and thought he was in hospital. Well, he was, but he is fine,” Mahlangu said.
Mahlangu said Zuma remained in good spirits and that his campaign programme would continue.
The reports followed Zuma’s campaign appearance in Msinga on Tuesday.
JG Zuma Foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi initially declined to confirm whether Zuma had been hospitalised, saying it was possible he was visiting someone else.
The MKP later sought to reassure supporters that there was no cause for alarm, saying Zuma was healthy and that his campaign would continue.
Zuma remains actively involved in the MKP’s campaign ahead of the local government elections, with the party holding events across KwaZulu-Natal as it seeks to consolidate support ahead of the November polls.
The circumstances surrounding Zuma’s hospital visit, including the nature of any medical treatment he may have received, have not been independently established.
The party said his campaign engagements would continue as planned.
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