Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota has been admitted to hospital in Cape Town after a medical emergency, his office confirmed on Thursday.
”Minister Lekota was admitted to a Cape Town hospital in the early hours of Thursday … due to a medical condition that needed urgent intervention,” his spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi said.
”The intervention was successful. The minister is currently in the hospital’s intensive-care unit. His condition is stable.”
Lekota is thought to have suffered a heart attack, but Mkhwanazi could not confirm this.
However, according to the Independent Online website, Lekota was in a serious but stable condition in the Gatesville medical centre after a heart attack on Wednesday night.
His deputy, Mluleki George, said on Thursday that Lekota had been stabilised by doctors by mid-morning and was no longer in danger.
It is believed Lekota’s life was in danger when he was admitted to the clinic after the attack.
”I have just heard that he is stable, not like the condition when he was admitted,” George said.
Ridwaan Ali, director of Melomed, the holding company of the Gatesville medical centre, confirmed only that Lekota was being treated there.
”We will issue a statement later but are still liaising with the [defence] department,” he said.
Lekota is also the national chairperson of the African National Congress.
President Thabo Mbeki, who was due to leave Sutherland in the Northern Cape where he was attending the launch of the Southern African Large Telescope, was reportedly planning to visit Lekota on Thursday.
This could not be confirmed.
Mbeki’s spokesperson, Malerato Sekha, said: ”We are not sure at this stage.”
George said he had been told doctors would not allow Lekota to receive visitors until later on Thursday — apart from the president.
”I don’t believe they mean the president. It definitely excludes the president.”
He said Lekota aides had told him the heart attack occurred shortly after 9pm, Independent Online reported. — Sapa