Zuma Family Blocks Military Airlift — Insists Former President Stays In KZN For Treatment

Zuma Family Rejects Calls for Former President’s Transfer to Pretoria Hospital

The family of former South African president Jacob Zuma has reportedly rejected suggestions that he should be transferred from KwaZulu-Natal to a hospital in Pretoria for specialised medical care, insisting that decisions concerning his treatment remain in the hands of his relatives and attending doctors.

According to the account provided, family spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi addressed journalists outside the Zuma family homestead in Nkandla, where he dismissed speculation that an emergency transfer to 1 Military Hospital in Tshwane was necessary.

Manyi reportedly said the family had consulted medical professionals and believed that adequate healthcare facilities were available within KwaZulu-Natal to manage Zuma’s condition. He also indicated that no request had been authorised for an airlift to Pretoria.

The former president’s specific medical condition has not been disclosed, and no detailed medical bulletin or recovery timeline was included in the account.

The South African National Defence Force reportedly confirmed that it had received no formal instruction to deploy an aircraft for a medical evacuation. Meanwhile, the Presidency was said to be monitoring the situation through established channels and had expressed its wishes for Zuma’s recovery.

The reported development has attracted public attention because of Zuma’s political influence and his leadership of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party). Concerns about his health have previously generated speculation whenever he has missed public engagements or appeared visibly fatigued.

Zuma has a history of hospitalisation, including a widely reported admission in 2021. However, without an official medical update, it would be inappropriate to draw conclusions about his current condition or ability to continue his political activities.

Supporters have reportedly gathered near his Nkandla residence to express concern and solidarity with the former president.

The situation has also renewed discussion about the balance between public interest in the welfare of a former head of state and the family’s right to privacy concerning personal medical matters.

For now, the account indicates that Zuma’s family intends to keep him in KwaZulu-Natal while relying on medical advice available to them. However, the precise nature of his condition, the treatment he is receiving and his expected recovery remain unclear.

The claims in the supplied account have not been independently verified, and no confirmed medical assessment has been provided to establish the severity of Zuma’s condition.

Westworld feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com