84-year-old Zuma's reported transfer to a military hospital has been halted amid his alleged ill health.
MK party leader Jacob Zuma. Picture: Emmanuel Croset / AFP
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been amended to include the KZN MK party’s response to the claim on Saturday evening.
A report has claimed a military deployment to KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) may be a contingency in case former President Jacob Zuma dies.
84-year-old Zuma has been receiving treatment at the Netcare St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, since arriving by ambulance on Tuesday, with sources close to the MK party leader claiming his health has deteriorated significantly and remains at a “very concerning stage.”
His party said it was a routine health check.
However, an army deployment reportedly on its way to KZN to monitor anti-illegal immigrant protests is reported to also have been sent to deal with any potential violence that may follow Zuma’s death.
“There could be mayhem,” a source told News24 on Saturday.
The SA National Defence Force (SANDF) has not confirmed this as a reason for the deployment, or commented on the claim as yet.
KZN MK party responds
The MK party in KZN slammed the claim.
“Speculation of this nature can cause unnecessary anxiety, fuel political uncertainty, and undermine public confidence. Any claims connecting military deployment to President Zuma’s health or death should be supported by credible, verifiable evidence, and responsibly contextualised.”
The party noted that, “according to the update communicated by the party’s national office, President Zuma is in good spirits.”
“We urge the public to rely on official party communication and not to circulate unverified claims or sensational headlines.”
Transfer ‘halted’
KZN-based radio station Gagasi FM reported on Saturday that Zuma remains “in a serious condition” and that a scheduled transfer to a military hospital was “once again halted due to his ill health”.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has said Zuma has “not been well” and the military’s surgeon-general “has been well briefed”.
“We wish President Zuma well. We wish him a very quick recovery, and we want him to be well and up and continuing to serve the people of South Africa in whichever way.”
‘This is most probably more serious’
Political analyst and North-West University professor André Duvenhage believes the implications of Zuma’s health struggles could be profound on SA politics.
“We don’t know the seriousness of it, and we aren’t sure if it’s only a regular process,” Duvenhage said.
However, he noted that his assessment of the political environment suggests the situation may be more serious than publicly stated.
“My reading of the political environment, the body language of the situation, is telling me that this is most probably more serious.”
Unrest
The military deployment follows unrest across KZN and Gauteng in July 2021 after Zuma’s arrest for contempt of court.
Violence and looting spread, killing around 354 people. Authorities arrested 5 500 people in connection with the unrest.
Additional reporting by Faizel Patel
