{
  "id": 14669792,
  "title": "WATCH: ‘Zuma on his deathbed’? Not so, suggests daughter Zuma-Sambudla",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/watch-zuma-on-his-deathbed-not-so-suggests-daughter-zuma-sambudla",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-15T10:21:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/zuma-on-deathbed-not-so-says-daughter-zuma-sambudla/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former President Jacob Zuma was seen in a video lifting weights despite reports suggesting he had left the hospital and returned to his Nkandla home. The 84-year-old was recovering at Netcare St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, since his arrival by ambulance last week. Speculation surrounding Zuma’s health intensified after claims emerged that his condition had significantly deteriorated and was at a \"very concerning stage.\" A video shared on X showed Zuma smiling and happy while performing weight training exercises. The caption appeared to mock the reports that \"President Zuma is on his deathbed.\" However, Mzwanele Manyi, a spokesperson for the Jacob Zuma Foundation, denied reports that Zuma had been discharged from the hospital. Manyi insisted that Zuma was \"healthy and in good spirits\" and was undergoing a routine health check. Manyi also condemned the media frenzy surrounding Zuma’s health, urging the public to respect the former president's privacy and dignity. Manyi accused the media of a relentless public scrutiny, labeling it as persecution and invasion of privacy.",
  "summary": "Speculation surrounding Zuma's health has intensified in recent days.",
  "key_points": [
    "Former President Jacob Zuma filmed lifting weights at hospital",
    "Zuma’s daughter Zuma-Sambudla denies deathbed reports",
    "Mzwanele Manyi condemns media frenzy over Zuma’s health"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}