Former president Jacob Zuma was expected to be discharged from a Pietermaritzburg hospital on Monday after a source close to him said he was recovering well following medical checks and a period of rest.
Zuma was admitted earlier in the week after becoming exhausted. A source said the 84-year-old former president is diabetic and had been overworking himself before he went to hospital.
“The president is doing fine. He is diabetic and was overworking himself, so he needed to undergo some checks and get some rest.
“He needed that rest. He was exhausted, but he's fine and should be discharged today,” said the source.
The update followed several days of reports about Zuma’s health. Some reports described him as being in a critical condition, while people close to him said that description was incorrect.
A second source rejected comments attributed to a person described as Zuma’s brother and said the person was not his biological brother.
“Zuma's last biological brother died two years ago. He doesn't have a brother, so we don't know where the media got that from. You know, in our culture, we call each other brother, but they can't quote someone and say it's his brother simply to sensationalise what he is saying.
“It was also incorrect to say the president was in a critical condition. That's not true,” added the source.
Zuma’s hospitalisation prompted Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni to call for him to be afforded privacy. Her comments came as reports about his condition, including claims that he was close to death, circulated publicly.
The Zuma family has remained involved in communication about his health. No detailed medical diagnosis has been made public, and the family has not released a full account of the medical checks or treatment he received.
Zuma’s son, Duduzane Zuma, who is also the deputy president of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, dismissed reports that his father was seriously ill. Duduzane said the former president was fine and ready to continue leading the party.
The statement reassured MK Party supporters as the organisation prepares for upcoming political activities. Zuma has remained a central figure in the party since its formation and continues to play a leading role in its public campaigns and internal affairs.
His hospital stay has raised questions about whether he would be able to attend the party’s upcoming events. Party officials previously described his admission as a routine medical check-up and said he was in good spirits.
Zuma’s expected discharge comes against the background of earlier legal proceedings over his health and medical parole.
In 2021, Zuma was serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court when then-national commissioner of Correctional Services Arthur Fraser granted him medical parole. Fraser relied on a medical report and said medical parole was available where an inmate was terminally ill, physically incapacitated or suffering from an illness that severely limited daily activity or self-care.
The Medical Parole Advisory Board had found that Zuma suffered from “multiple comorbidities”, but concluded that he was not terminally ill and did not meet the required threshold for physical incapacity. The board did not recommend medical parole.
Fraser acknowledged that the board had not approved Zuma’s release because he was considered to be in a “stable condition”, but he overrode the recommendation.
The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria reviewed and set aside the decision in December 2021. It ordered that the medical parole application be rejected and that Zuma return to custody. The court also ruled that the period he spent outside prison on medical parole would not count towards his sentence.
The Supreme Court of Appeal later found that the medical parole decision was unlawful and unconstitutional. The court held that the commissioner could not grant medical parole without a positive recommendation from the Medical Parole Advisory Board.
The Department of Correctional Services said in 2023 that Zuma’s position before his release on medical parole had been reinstated and that he had returned to Estcourt Correctional Centre to complete the sentence process.
The previous medical-parole case remains part of the public record surrounding Zuma’s health. His latest hospitalisation has again drawn attention because he remains one of South Africa’s most prominent political figures.
The source close to Zuma said the former president’s current medical problem was linked to diabetes, exhaustion and the need for rest. The source did not disclose the nature of the checks conducted at the hospital or whether Zuma would require additional treatment after leaving.
Duduzane’s statement indicated that Zuma intended to remain active in the MK Party after his recovery. The party has relied on his political influence and public profile during its campaign activities.
Zuma served as South Africa’s president from 2009 until 2018. He is still addressed as president by his supporters and political allies, although he is a former head of state.
The Presidency has not released a detailed medical bulletin about his condition. Ntshavheni’s call for privacy means that updates are expected to remain limited unless Zuma’s family or political party chooses to provide more information.
The source close to Zuma said he was expected to leave hospital on Monday. His discharge would end a stay that began after he became exhausted and required medical checks and rest.
The latest update states that Zuma is recovering, is not in the critical condition described in earlier reports and remains ready to continue his political work.