Ntshavheni warns against speculation over Jacob Zuma’s health

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has warned against speculation and public discussion about former President Jacob Zuma’s health, saying his medical condition should be treated with respect and sensitivity.

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party leader has been receiving treatment at Netcare St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, since last week.

Ntshavheni says Zuma is under the medical care of the Surgeon General of the South African National Defence Force, in line with established protocols governing the healthcare of former heads of state.

She has urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified information about Zuma’s condition, stressing the importance of respecting his privacy while he receives medical attention.

Zuma, who served as South Africa’s president from 2009 to 2018, remains a prominent political figure and leads the MK Party, which has become a significant player in the country’s political landscape.

Ntshavheni explained, “He is being treated by the doctors and you should know that its’s a violation of privacy. The fact that a person holds a particular position in society does not entitle us to violate his privacy.”

Click below to listen to Ntshaveni’s sentiments…

Meanwhile, the Jacob Zuma Foundation has condemned what it calls a “media frenzy” fuelled by rumours, misinformation and relentless public scrutiny over the former president’s health.

The foundation’s Mzwanele Manyi says Zuma deserves the same dignity, privacy and consideration that should be afforded to any person facing a health challenge.

Manyi says his health should not become an opportunity for sensationalism.

“This whole camping around President Zuma at the hospital, It is actually distasteful because even the reporting has got nothing to do with the care and love that should be there,” said Manyi.

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