By Zuko Komisa

- Former President Jacob Zuma left a Pietermaritzburg hospital on Monday night following a routine medical check-up.
- His recent health scare has raised questions about his capacity to campaign for the MKP in the November 4 municipal elections.
- The MKP aims to build on its 2024 successes and further erode the ANC’s traditional support base.
Former South African President and uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) leader Jacob Zuma has been discharged from a Pietermaritzburg hospital following a routine medical check-up, media reports confirmed on Tuesday.
Zuma was initially rushed to hospital by ambulance on October 6.
The brief health scare immediately sparked national debate over whether the 84-year-old leader would be well enough to hit the campaign trail ahead of the country’s upcoming municipal elections on November 4.
“A routine medical check-up.” — The uMkhonto weSizwe Party, describing the reason for Zuma’s hospital admission.
The MKP is looking to capitalise on the momentum it gained during South Africa’s 2024 general elections.
In that historic vote, the African National Congress (ANC) lost its national parliamentary majority for the first time in three decades, heavily penalised by widespread voter frustration over chronic unemployment and deteriorating public services.
With the local elections fast approaching, the party remains focused on expanding its political footprint at the expense of Zuma’s former party.
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