/ 11 November 2005

Lekota ‘fine’ after medical emergency

Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota was ”fine” on Friday morning after being rushed to a Cape Town hospital due to a medical emergency, his office said.

”He had a good night’s sleep, and he is doing fine,” ministerial spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi said from Pretoria.

Reports said Lekota (57) was still in the intensive-care unit of the Gatesville medical centre.

The minister was taken there in the early hours of Thursday as he needed what was described as ”an urgent intervention”.

Mkhwanazi said the intervention was successful, and Lekota was stabilised by mid-morning.

He could not confirm reports on Friday that Lekota had suffered a heart attack.

”The doctors are still doing tests,” Mkhwanazi said.

News24 reported that Lekota’s life was apparently still in danger when he was admitted to the hospital.

It quoted someone who saw Lekota arrive at the hospital as saying he ”looked like a dead man”.

News24 said Lekota was ”covered in tubes” after what was believed to have been a serious heart attack. — Sapa