The weekly newspaper Sunday World reported on 29 December 2020 that former South African president Jacob Zuma had been hospitalised after testing positive for Covid-19.
The paper posted a link to the article on Twitter, with the tweet: “Jacob Zuma and wife admitted to hospital after contracting Covid-19.”
A second wave of Covid-19 in South Africa in December and into January has seen a major increase in the number of patients hospitalised with the virus. But are the former president and his wife among them?
In the article Sunday World claims that according to an anonymous source, Zuma and his first wife, Gertrude Sizakele Khumalo, were receiving treatment at a hospital in Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal province, after testing positive for Covid-19.
But shortly after the article was published, Zuma’s eldest son, Edward Zuma, released a statement disputing the rumour. The statement was reported on by a number of South African news outlets, including Times Live, News24 and Independent Online.
It said: “The former president is well and currently enjoying his festive season with family, and is at home adhering to all regulations announced in March this year. Former president Zuma is well and in good spirits.”
As of 8 January 2021, Sunday World had not updated the original article or issued any sort of correction, despite a number of Twitter users tagging the publication in tweets about the statement from the Zuma family. But there is no evidence that Zuma or Khumalo were hospitalised with Covid-19. – Kashifa Sithole
The paper posted a link to the article on Twitter, with the tweet: “Jacob Zuma and wife admitted to hospital after contracting Covid-19.”
A second wave of Covid-19 in South Africa in December and into January has seen a major increase in the number of patients hospitalised with the virus. But are the former president and his wife among them?
Zuma in good health, says son
In the article Sunday World claims that according to an anonymous source, Zuma and his first wife, Gertrude Sizakele Khumalo, were receiving treatment at a hospital in Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal province, after testing positive for Covid-19.
But shortly after the article was published, Zuma’s eldest son, Edward Zuma, released a statement disputing the rumour. The statement was reported on by a number of South African news outlets, including Times Live, News24 and Independent Online.
It said: “The former president is well and currently enjoying his festive season with family, and is at home adhering to all regulations announced in March this year. Former president Zuma is well and in good spirits.”
As of 8 January 2021, Sunday World had not updated the original article or issued any sort of correction, despite a number of Twitter users tagging the publication in tweets about the statement from the Zuma family. But there is no evidence that Zuma or Khumalo were hospitalised with Covid-19. – Kashifa Sithole
Republish our content for free
For publishers: what to do if your post is rated false
A fact-checker has rated your Facebook or Instagram post as “false”, “altered”, “partly false” or “missing context”. This could have serious consequences. What do you do?
Click on our guide for the steps you should follow.
Publishers guideAfrica Check teams up with Facebook
Africa Check is a partner in Meta's third-party fact-checking programme to help stop the spread of false information on social media.
The content we rate as “false” will be downgraded on Facebook and Instagram. This means fewer people will see it.
You can also help identify false information on Facebook. This guide explains how.
Add new comment