Johannesburg - Just a day after being given time off for rest and relaxation, President Jacob Zuma was admitted to a Pretoria hospital.
Zuma’s spokesman, Mac Maharaj, would only say that he had gone in for tests.
For reasons of privacy, Maharaj said the presidency could not disclose where Zuma was being treated, but said doctors were satisfied with his condition.
“Not even the doctors give us updates on his condition… for the sake of patient-doctor confidentiality. Let us allow the doctors the ease to do their work properly,” Maharaj said.
Zuma’s son, Edward, said he was not aware of his father being hospitalised.
“That’s news to me,” he said.
Earlier this year, Zuma spent three hours receiving treatment at Durban’s Life Entabeni Hospital, in what was described then as an “unscheduled routine check-up”.
The Sunday Tribune, a sister publication of The Sunday Independent reported on that occasion that Zuma went to see his cardiologist, Dr Deena Dayalu, who has rooms at the hospital. The visit was not planned.
On Friday, ANC national officials gave Zuma time off, as he was believed to be suffering from fatigue owing to the demanding election campaign. Zuma made a brief appearance at an ANC national executive meeting.
Deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa was quoted as saying: “Following a gruelling election campaign, we found that he needed to rest. He attended the NEC lekgotla this morning (on Friday), and was thereafter sent packing to go and rest.”
Ramaphosa was speaking at the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union special congress in Benoni on Friday.
DA Parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane said: “We wish the president a speedy recovery.”
Sunday Independent