‘If anything happens to my father’: Zuma-Sambudla warns, demands urgent probe

“If anything happens to my father, I will hold your office accountable.”

That’s the warning Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has delivered to Presidential Protection Service Head Major General Wally Rhoode, as she demands an urgent investigation into allegations of political interference, compromised security arrangements, manipulated access, and concerns about former president Jacob Zuma’s medical care.

Letter

The letter emerged as Zuma recovers in hospital.

Speculation about Zuma’s health intensified in recent days after reports suggested he left the hospital and returned to his Nkandla home.

The 84-year-old Zuma has been receiving treatment at Netcare St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), since arriving by ambulance last week. Sources close to the MK party leader claim his health has deteriorated significantly and is at a “very concerning stage.”

In a seven-page letter dated 8 September, Zuma-Sambudla alleges that members of Zuma’s Presidential Protection Unit (PPU) may have become entangled in family disputes, political factionalism, and internal MK party battles, while raising concerns about alleged collusion, security vulnerabilities, and medical treatment administered outside his doctors’ full oversight.

The Citizen has reached out to the South African Police Service (Saps).

Warning

The most explosive section of the complaint comes near the end of the letter.

“If anything should happen to my father, I will, unfortunately, have to hold your office accountable to the circumstances leading to thereof, including expecting a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding his security and medical care that would have led to a fatal outcome or end his life.”

Zuma-Sambudla said she felt compelled to write after repeated attempts to have her concerns addressed.

“I write this letter with a heavy heart and after several attempts to have my concerns heard and appropriately addressed.”

She said the complaint stemmed from concerns about her father’s safety and wellbeing.

“I am writing because I have serious concerns regarding the adequacy, independence and integrity of certain aspects of my father’s Presidential Protection Unit security arrangements, as well as concerns relating to aspects of his medical care.”

“Given my father’s status as a former Head of State, I believe these are matters warranting urgent and impartial attention,” Zuma-Sambudla said.

Boundaries

At the heart of the complaint is Zuma-Sambudla’s belief that some members of Zuma’s protection detail may have stepped beyond their professional role.

“I have become increasingly concerned that elements within my father’s security detail have become overly familiar with him and his private affairs, to the point where professional boundaries may have been compromised.”

She said Zuma’s openness may have allowed some officials to become involved in matters outside their security responsibilities.

“My father is a humble, open and trusting person. Unfortunately, I am concerned that this openness may have resulted in some members of the PPU becoming involved in matters that fall outside their proper security responsibilities.”

According to Zuma-Sambudla, some members of the security detail may have become involved in family and political disputes.

“I have concerns that members of the security detail have become involved in family gossip, political gossip and internal Party disputes, and that some may have aligned themselves with particular individuals or factions around my father.”

She warned that protection officers should remain impartial and focused solely on security.

“It is deeply concerning if members of such a detail are perceived to be participating in political factions, influencing access to the President, or becoming part of competing interests surrounding him.”

Collusion

Zuma-Sambudla also called for an independent investigation into alleged improper relationships involving PPU members.

“It has been brought to my attention that there may be improper relationships, collusion and alliances between certain members of the PPU, Ms Siphokazi Xuma, and certain National Officials of the MK party.”

While stressing that the allegations require verification, she said they were too serious to ignore.

“The allegations are sufficiently serious that I believe they cannot simply be ignored.”

Among the most serious claims is that some protection officers may receive benefits in exchange for controlling access to Zuma.

“There are also allegations that certain PPU members may receive kickbacks, inducements or other benefits from National Officials within the MK party leadership in return for performing favours, including influencing who is permitted to meet with President Zuma and who is prevented from doing so.”

She warned that such conduct would amount to a severe breach of professional integrity if proven.

“If substantiated, such conduct would represent an extremely serious breach of professional integrity and would potentially place my father’s security at considerable risk.”

The complaint further alleges that some individuals may be denied access to Zuma for reasons unrelated to security.

“I further understand that individuals may at times be prevented from seeing my father, not because they have been assessed as genuine security threats, but because they are allegedly not part of a particular group or network surrounding him.”

Security

The letter also raises concerns about how meetings involving Zuma are allegedly arranged.

According to Zuma-Sambudla, some meetings are confirmed at extremely short notice, potentially undermining security planning and advance assessments.

“It has been brought to my attention that Ms Siphokazi Xuma sometimes determines or confirms meetings at extremely short notice for reasons that may serve her own political or personal expediency,” Zuma-Sambudla said.

“This creates a potentially serious security vulnerability.”

She argued that a former head of state should not be moved to unfamiliar venues without sufficient time for proper security preparations.

“A former Head of State should not, in my respectful view, be moved to an unfamiliar venue at very short notice without sufficient time for the appropriate security assessment and advance work to be conducted.”

“Security protocols must be based upon objective security assessments, not political factionalism, personal preferences, financial inducements or the interests of a particular cabal,” Zuma-Sambudla said.

Factionalism

The complaint alleges that Zuma’s accessibility may leave him vulnerable to competing political interests.

“My father should not become vulnerable to competing political interests simply because of his openness and accessibility.”

“I am concerned that individuals surrounding him may be attempting to control access to him, influence his movements and shape the information that reaches him, while using elements of the security structure to advance their own interests,” Zuma-Sambudla said.

Zuma-Sambudla said the allegations go beyond ordinary political disagreements.

“If there is any substance to these allegations, the consequences extend beyond ordinary political disagreements. They concern the security and wellbeing of a former Head of State.”

In one of the strongest passages of the letter, she declared:

“The PPU must be completely insulated from political factionalism and must not become an instrument through which particular individuals control access to President Zuma.”

Healthcare

The complaint also raises concerns about Zuma’s medical treatment and whether his doctors are fully informed about all treatments being administered.

“I also wish to raise serious concerns regarding my father’s medical care.”

“I am concerned that the appropriate medical professionals responsible for his care may not always have sufficient knowledge of, or involvement in, medical treatment, medication or substances being administered to him outside their supervision,” Zuma-Sambudla said.

She also questioned the involvement of individuals outside Zuma’s established medical team.

“I am particularly concerned about circumstances in which civilians or individuals who are not part of his established medical team may recommend or facilitate consultations with doctors who are unknown to the medical team responsible for his care.”

Intervention

Concluding the complaint, Zuma-Sambudla said her greatest concern is that individuals with political, financial or personal agendas may be placing Zuma’s wellbeing at risk while claiming to act in his interests.

“My greatest concern is that individuals with their own political, financial or personal agendas may be placing my father’s safety and wellbeing at risk while presenting themselves as acting in his interests.”

“Whatever one’s political views may be, his safety should never become subordinate to factional interests, personal agendas or political expediency,” Zuma-Sambudla said.

Nkandla

Earlier this week, reports emerged that the former president had been discharged and would return to his Nkandla homestead.

However, Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi has denied reports that Zuma has been discharged from hospital.

“Reports that H.E. President Zuma has been discharged are not true,” Manyi said.

Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has said Zuma has “not been well” and that the military’s surgeon-general “has been well briefed”.

“We wish President Zuma well. We wish him a very quick recovery, and we want him to be well and up and continuing to serve the people of South Africa in whichever way.”

Zuma’s MK party said he was in for a routine health check and was “healthy and in good spirits”.