Former South African President Jacob Zuma was reportedly airlifted to Cuba for an emergency medical procedure after sources claimed he was poisoned.
Apparently, the former president, now aged 77, may even be struggling with his memory of late, which could prove useful in court where he will soon face corruption trial along with other legal issues, including allegations he levelled at the Zondo commission investigating state capture.
In September it was reported that Zuma’s estranged wife Nompumelelo Ntuli-Zuma, known as MaNtuli, would not be prosecuted for an alleged poisoning attempt on him in 2014 while he was president, owing to an apparent total lack of evidence.
Earlier this year her lawyers appealed to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) boss Shamila Batohi to make a decision on whether she would be charged in the case.
Though MaNtuli has been at the centre of the allegations since 2015, she has consistently denied that she tried to poison her husband.
Last month, a former state security minister appointed by Zuma, Bongani Bongo, claimed that he went to Cuba to be treated for poisoning, allegedly suffered at the hands of Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan. Gordhan dismissed the allegation as utterly absurd.
Bongo needed to return to South Africa from Cuba to be arrested by the Hawks on bribery charges after allegedly trying to derail a parliamentary inquiry into alleged state capture at Eskom.
“You know recently I was given a poison so I was going to finalise my treatment in Cuba, so I had to cut my trip very short from Cuba to come and attend to what the police had called me for,” said Bongo. “I was in Cuba for a treatment of the poison I got recently.”
