Cape Town – Former president Jacob Zuma has returned to the public eye after weeks away from the campaign trail, urging South Africans to vote for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party in the 4 November local government elections.
The 84-year-old party leader made his first public address since his hospitalisation earlier this month in a video released by the MK Party on Friday night, 30 October.
Zuma thanked supporters who had sent him well-wishes during his absence before turning his attention to the upcoming municipal elections.
“We are ready to take over,” he declared, expressing confidence in the party’s readiness to govern.
He also urged South Africans to use their votes to change the country’s direction, saying they had endured difficult conditions for years.
His address comes as political parties make their final campaign appeals ahead of Wednesday’s elections.
LGE 2026 | In his first public appearance since being discharged from the hospital, MK Party leader and former President Jacob Zuma has urged voters to turn out in large numbers and take part in the upcoming 4 November local government elections. https://t.co/UIM7KzRyTJ
— SABC News (@SABCNews) October 30, 2026
Zuma also called on registered voters to turn out in large numbers, urging them to vote specifically for his party.
“I am wishing that everyone will vote and vote correctly, but more than anything, vote for uMkhonto weSizwe. I would be very happy. And I am certain that there will be a lot of people who will do so,” he said.
Zuma also said the country needed to become one of peace, arguing that voters had endured difficult circumstances for years.
“On the 4th of November, we expect that South Africans will vote in their numbers,” he said.
His return comes ahead of the MK Party’s planned final election rally at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu, north of Durban, on Sunday, 1 November.
The rally forms part of the party’s final campaign push as it seeks to secure municipal seats, with eThekwini among its key targets.
Zuma was admitted to a Pietermaritzburg hospital on 6 October, where he spent 11 days before being discharged and returning to his Nkandla home.
The MK Party attributed his hospitalisation to fatigue, saying he required medical attention and rest.
His absence from public campaigning had attracted attention as the party intensified its efforts to mobilise support ahead of the municipal elections.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
