Zuma Hospital Drama: Family Fights Transfer as Ex-President Recovers

Former South African president Jacob Zuma is currently recovering in hospital in Pietermaritzburg, where he was admitted last week. The Jacob Zuma Foundation has reassured the public that he is in high spirits and doing well, while strongly appealing for his privacy to be respected by both the public and the media.

According to Mzwanele Manyi, spokesperson for the Jacob Zuma Foundation, those who have been with the former president report that he is in good spirits, joking, and even looking forward to returning to the stage to sing his well-known struggle song, Umshini Wami. Manyi emphasized that there is no reason for alarm regarding Zuma’s condition.

The foundation also criticized journalists for allegedly camping outside the hospital, describing this practice as “un-African” and urging the media to respect Zuma's privacy during his hospital stay. They acknowledged public concern for his health but stressed the need to balance this concern with respect for his personal space, thanking the public for their well-wishes.

Adding a new dimension to his medical care, Zuma’s family has reportedly declined an offer to have him airlifted to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria for further treatment. Instead, they have insisted that the 84-year-old uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party leader remain under medical care at Netcare St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, where he was admitted by ambulance on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.

Sources close to the situation indicate that the family’s opposition to the transfer stems from Zuma’s strained relationship with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration, coupled with concerns that moving him would be