Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has urged the public to respect former president Jacob Zuma’s medical privacy, saying his condition should be discussed only by his doctors with his consent.
Her comments come as Zuma’s hospitalisation prompts renewed questions about the future of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party and whether it has a succession plan should its founder leave the political stage, The Star reported.
Speaking about Zuma’s condition on Sunday, Ntshavheni said he was under the care of the Surgeon General, who had been assigned by President Cyril Ramaphosa to oversee the process.
“I need to indicate on the health status of Baba Zuma. He is under the care of the Surgeon General, and you know the medical requirements. It’s only his medical doctors that can pronounce on his health status and health conditions with his consent,” she said.
Ntshavheni cautioned against expecting the government to provide regular updates, saying Zuma’s public standing did not mean his privacy should be disregarded.
“The fact that a person holds a particular position in society does not entitle us to violate his privacy.”
Zuma was admitted to Netcare St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg last week.
The MK Party’s national office previously described the admission as a routine medical check-up, which it said Zuma undergoes twice a year. It added that he was “healthy and in good spirits” and that his campaign would continue.
His son, Duduzane Zuma, the party’s first deputy president, also sought to reassure supporters at a rally last Friday, saying his father remained the party’s leader and would contest the 2029 general elections.
Jacob Zuma was hospitalised last week.
“He is indeed with us. He will be here as a presidential candidate in 2029, leading the MK Party to a two-thirds majority nationally,” Duduzane said.
Despite these assurances, reports suggesting that Zuma’s condition was serious have fuelled speculation about the political implications of a possible change in leadership.
Some media outlets reported that a military deployment to KwaZulu-Natal, publicly linked to violent anti-immigration protests in Durban, could also serve as a contingency in the event of Zuma’s death.
The MK Party’s KwaZulu-Natal leadership has rejected the claims, warning that linking the deployment to Zuma’s health without substantiated evidence could heighten public anxiety and political uncertainty.
Provincial elections spokesperson Mkhuseli Mlengane called for credible, verifiable evidence to support any claims connecting military deployments to the former president’s condition.
“Journalism should inform the public – not create alarm through speculation about the death of a living political leader,” he said.
While the party has sought to reassure supporters, political analyst Professor Musa Xulu said the situation had exposed broader questions about whether the organisation could survive beyond its founder.
Xulu argued that the MK Party lacked a clear succession plan and said its challenges were rooted not only in its reliance on Zuma but also in the circumstances surrounding its formation and the absence of clearly defined political objectives.
“Zuma made a mistake during the establishment of the party in 2023. Even a stokvel is not formed in this way. By forming it without any policy which was going to clearly spell out its objectives, the party is bound to die after him,” Xulu said.
Duduzane’s appointment as first deputy president could suggest that he is being positioned for a future leadership role. However, Xulu questioned whether he had the political experience and authority needed to succeed his father.
“Duduzane is not a politician; he is charming and the youth like him, but he would not command the authority his father has. He is more of a businessman than anything else,” Xulu said.
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