Zuma’s first appeal after hospital sets up a test in eThekwini
DURBAN — Former president Jacob Zuma used his first public address since leaving hospital to ask South Africans to vote for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party on 4 November. His appeal carries particular weight in eThekwini, where polls suggest MK could win the largest share of the vote. They differ on whether the party can secure enough support to govern the metro alone.
In a video the party released on Friday evening, 30 October, Zuma thanked South Africans who had sent him good wishes and said MK was ready to take charge of municipalities. “I am wishing that everyone will vote and vote correctly, but more than anything, vote for uMkhonto weSizwe,” he said. The 84-year-old had spent 11 days in a Pietermaritzburg hospital after his medical team recommended rest for fatigue, according to the party.
KwaZulu-Natal offers MK its clearest electoral benchmark. The party won the largest share of the provincial vote in the 2024 general election. On Wednesday, voters will decide how much of that support carries into municipal councils. In eThekwini, a first-place finish short of a majority would leave MK needing support from other councillors to install its choice of mayor.
Zuma’s next scheduled campaign appearance is closer to that contest. He is expected to address supporters at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu, north of Durban, on Sunday, 1 November, three days before voting.
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