Thulaganyo Sethibe|Published
Four security guards stand outside the first-floor ward. Another four guard the room where former president Jacob Zuma remains under medical observation at Netcare St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg.
Despite reports that he had been discharged, Zuma had not gone home by Wednesday afternoon on October 14, IOL can confirm.
IOL visited St Anne's Hospital on Wednesday where two hospital staff members confirmed that the former president was still recovering in the ward, more than a week after his admission.
The two hospital staff spoke to IOL on condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to speak to the media.
Outside, black SUVs in the hospital parking area have prompted speculation about preparations for his departure. Inside, the guards remain at their posts. There is no confirmed date for his return to Nkandla.
Return to Nkandla
According to the hospital staff, on Tuesday afternoon, Zuma’s son, Duduzane, arrived to visit him between 4pm and 5pm. They said the visit came earlier than usual as he generally visited at about 9pm.
Zuma, the staff member said was in good spirits and had taken several video calls from relatives, and well-wishers.
Doctors had been expected to assess Zuma that day, with a possible return to his Nkandla homestead depending on whether they were satisfied with his progress.
By Wednesday, however, the two staff members confirmed that he remained in hospital.
Zuma was admitted on Tuesday, October 6, for what the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party described as routine medical checks. The party said he undergoes these checks twice a year.
His stay has now extended beyond a week, accompanied by conflicting reports about his condition and whether he had been discharged.
Foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi rejected reports on Tuesday that Zuma had left hospital. IOL’s confirmation from staff on Wednesday supports that denial.
The SUVs in the parking area offer no confirmation that his departure is imminent. Nor does the security outside his ward establish the nature or severity of his condition.
That information remains with his doctors.
Manyi has thanked the public for their well wishes while appealing for Zuma’s privacy to be respected, particularly by the media
Presidency urges respect and privacy
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has reinforced that position, saying President Cyril Ramaphosa had assigned the Surgeon General to oversee Zuma’s medical care.
Only his medical team could disclose details of his health, and only with his consent, she said.
Beyond the hospital, Zuma’s absence has drawn attention to his position at the head of the MK Party and prompted speculation about what his health could mean for its future.
Duduzane sought to reassure supporters at a recent party rally, telling them his father remained its leader and would contest the 2029 general elections.
“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,” he said.
His assurance came amid reports of health complications. No medical diagnosis or prognosis has been established in the information available to IOL.
The party’s KwaZulu-Natal leadership has also pushed back against suggestions in some media reports that the military deployment following violent anti-immigration protests in Durban could serve as a contingency should Zuma’s condition deteriorate.
Provincial elections spokesperson Mkhuseli Mlengane called for credible, verifiable evidence to support any link between the deployment and the former president’s health.
The party warned that such speculation could heighten public anxiety and fuel political uncertainty.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli said the deployment aimed to protect businesses, jobs and infrastructure.
At St Anne’s, the question of when Zuma will leave remains unanswered. For now, he is still in the guarded first-floor ward, awaiting a decision that rests with his medical team.
IOL News