WATCH | Zuma’s daughter hits back at deathbed claims with video of ex-president lifting weights

Zuma

Durban – Former president Jacob Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, has pushed back against speculation that her father is on his deathbed, sharing footage of him lifting weights as conflicting reports continue about his health and hospitalisation.

Zuma-Sambudla posted an undated video of the 84-year-old former president smiling while exercising. Her post appeared to challenge claims attributed to broadcaster Xoli Mngambi that Zuma was seriously ill.

The footage comes amid uncertainty surrounding Zuma’s condition after he was admitted to Netcare St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, on 6 October 2026.

The Jacob Zuma Foundation has rejected reports that Zuma had been discharged, with spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi stating: “Reports that H.E. President Zuma has been discharged are not true.”

Manyi has also criticised what he described as a “media frenzy” driven by rumours and misinformation, urging the public and media to respect the former president’s privacy.

Meanwhile, eNCA reported on 13 October that Zuma had been discharged, but noted that the foundation disputed the claim.

A subsequent report by IOL said hospital staff confirmed that Zuma remained under medical observation on 14 October, with no confirmed date for his return to his Nkandla homestead.

The reports highlight the conflicting accounts surrounding the former president’s hospital stay, while his medical team has not publicly disclosed a detailed diagnosis or prognosis.

The Presidency has also called for caution over speculation. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said only Zuma’s medical team could disclose details of his condition, and only with his consent.

For now, Zuma-Sambudla’s video offers a public glimpse of her father exercising, but it does not independently establish his current medical condition. His health status and discharge arrangements remain subject to confirmation from his medical team or authorised representatives.

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