BRUSSELS, July 31 (Reuters) - Artificial intelligence developers should have in place tools to monitor their systems for security risks, senior European Commission officials said on Friday, following hacking incidents by OpenAI and Anthropic AI models.
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Ntshavheni urges respect for Zuma’s privacy as former president remains in KZN hospital
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has cautioned the public against violating former president Jacob Zuma’s privacy by demanding to know the reasons behind his hospitalisation.
Addressing the media during an inter-ministerial committee (IMC) on migration briefing on Sunday, Ntshavheni said Zuma’s health status must be respected.
“He’s under the care of the [SA National Defence Force] surgeon general, and you know the ethical requirements. It’s only his medical doctors who can pronounce on his health status and health conditions with his consent.”
The minister said journalists should stop asking the government to comment on the matter.
“He’s being treated by the doctors. The president has also assigned the surgeon general to lead that process, and therefore, we must leave those questions to the medical team, the family, and president Zuma, and you should know that it’s a violation of privacy. The fact that a person holds a particular position in society does not entitle us to violate his privacy.”
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Zuma family rules out airlift to military hospital, insists on KZN treatment
Former president Jacob Zuma’s family is believed to have refused to have him airlifted to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria for medical treatment, insisting instead that he remain in KwaZulu-Natal, News24 has learnt.
The decision explains why Zuma’s medical care has deviated from protocol, which is that presidents, deputy presidents and immediate family receive medical and healthcare services from the Surgeon-General through the South African Military Health Services.
The Zuma family is said to be concerned about moving him to Gauteng in light of a poor relationship with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The decision caused the government to dispatch a team of specialist doctors to KZN on Friday, to treat the 84-year-old former head of state. The team includes specialists and a resuscitation expert.
But another source said Zuma could not be moved to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria because “it was too risky” for his condition.
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‘It’s not looking good’: Zuma’s brother after former president is hospitalised
As former president Jacob Zuma lies in a KwaZulu-Natal hospital, his brother, Khanya, has told News24 that the 84-year-old is unwell, that the family is praying for him and that MK Party (MKP) infighting is stressing a man they fear they are losing to politics.
Khanya’s account – corroborated by a well-placed source who says government doctors have taken over Zuma’s care and by a distant relative who claims the party lied about his condition – paints a picture of a family at odds with the party Zuma founded in the run-up to the 2024 elections.
His ill health comes at a moment when the party desperately needs its founder and figurehead: weeks before the November local government elections.
Khanya sought to play down the severity of his brother’s illness.
“He is unwell, but it’s not that bad,” he said. “He is in the hospital, and they are checking him. It’s not bad. He is still in the hospital.”
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Ramaphosa sends well wishes to Zuma who remains in hospital
Former president Jacob Zuma remained in hospital for a fourth day on Friday, with contradictory reports as to the severity of his condition.
These range from critical to word from well-placed sources that he was responding positively to treatment.
Sources in his inner circle and in the government confirmed to News24 that a team of military doctors had taken over care of the 84-year-old leader of the MK Party (MKP).
Plans to move Zuma from St Anne’s private hospital in Pietermaritzburg to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria appear to be on hold.
On Friday, President Cyril Ramaphosa wished Zuma a speedy recovery.
“President Jacob Zuma has not been well, and he is now being put under treatment by doctors. The surgeon-general of our defence force has been well-briefed and we wish president Zuma well,” Ramaphosa said on the sidelines of the launch of a catalytic investment and industrialisation project in the Free State.
“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.”
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‘He’s been sick these days,’ Zuma confidant says as former president remains in hospital
A private medical facility in Pietermaritzburg, where Jacob Zuma is believed to be hospitalised, remains under lockdown with heightened security.
Zuma fell ill and has not engaged in political activities recently, according to sources.
It is déjà vu for the party as Zuma also fell ill on the eve of the 2024 general elections.
Fast-forward to this year’s election campaign, Zuma, who has hawkishly overseen the party’s mayoral candidate process, was a notable absentee during a state of the city address led by MK Party (MKP) Johannesburg mayoral hopeful Bongani Baloyi in Orange Farm.
In Zuma’s place was the MKP’s second deputy president, Tony Yengeni, who told the crowd he had a “message” from Zuma: that Johannesburg residents have to vote for Baloyi.
WATCH | Jacob Zuma: In his own words
Zuma ‘fit as a fiddle’, says MK Party after hospitalisation reports
MK Party (MKP) leader Jacob Zuma is said to be “as fit as a fiddle” following reports that he fell ill and was hospitalised in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday.
MKP spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu said Zuma had attended his routine medical check-up, which usually takes a day or two.
“He gets a full routine check-up twice a year. He is healthy and in good spirits,” he said, adding that Zuma is “as fit as a fiddle”.
“His campaign programme will continue accordingly.”
Mahlangu said Zuma is not currently in hospital and is at home with family.
Earlier, Pietermaritzburg-based publication The Witness reported that an eyewitness had spotted Zuma being brought in by ambulance and admitted to hospital.
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Earlier, Pietermaritzburg-based publication The Witness reported that an eyewitness had spotted Zuma being brought in by ambulance and admitted to hospital.
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MK Party leader Jacob Zuma . Rogan Ward/Reuters
Zuma back in SA after medical 'check-up and observations went well' in Russia
Following an extended stay in Russia for medical treatment, former president Jacob Zuma is back in the country.
According to Mzwanele Manyi, spokesperson of the JG Zuma Foundation, the medical check-up and observations went well.
Details of the treatment Zuma received remain unknown.
"The JG Zuma Foundation is glad to announce that its patron has recently returned from his medically related trip to the Russian Federation. The check-up and observations went well. He wishes to thank all the progressive South African citizens and organisations who sent him good wishes and prayers during this period," Manyi said in a statement.
Manyi said Zuma's return had been necessitated by the private prosecution matter which will be sitting in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg on Friday.
"In terms of the law, it is compulsory for the private prosecutor to appear whenever the accused persons appear in terms of the summons or as ordered by a judge. As matters stand and barring any not to be ruled out shenanigans, the private prosecution is otherwise set down to be conducted in the presence of the two accused persons this Friday," he said.
News24 specialist legal journalist Karyn Maughan and senior State advocate Billy Downer filed an enforcement appeal to prevent any action resulting from Zuma's private prosecution while he appeals the matter.
This comes after three judges - Gregory Kruger, Jacqui Henrique and Mokgere Masipa - deemed Zuma's private prosecution against Maughan and Downer was an abuse of power.
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ANC's KZN leaders visit Jacob Zuma to seek wisdom on ‘the issue of building the nation’
ANC leaders in KwaZulu-Natal have paid former president Jacob Zuma a visit at his Nkandla home to seek guidance and wisdom.
Zuma is currently serving the remainder of his 15 month prison term at home after being released on medical parole in September last year.
Newly elected provincial chairperson Siboniso Duma said they have come to seek guidance and wisdom on issues affecting the nation.
Speaking after the visit, Duma said the leaders wanted Zuma's view on how to create unity.
As a former head of state and party leader, the ANC KZN believes Zuma is in a good position to offer guidance.
"We've spoken amongst other things - the issue of building the nation. [We spoke about] things [on] how to make sure that you transfer back what belongs to the people of KwaZulu-Natal, the economy wealth and the land," Duma said.
Zuma's ANC readmittance bid explained: 'He sees himself as Jesus, coming back to end ANC rule'
Amid the ANC's 113th anniversary this week, former president Jacob Zuma's attempt to get his ANC membership reinstated immediately shifted the focus from the party's legacy to his own ambitions. This is according to political analyst and Unisa professor Lesiba Teffo.
The Jacob Zuma Foundation confirmed on 8 January 2025, that Zuma had formally submitted a request for his membership reinstatement and demanded a decision from the ANC by the end of this month.
The timing of his move raised questions about his motivations, and what he's trying to achieve.
The ANC's 113th anniversary celebrations are set to take place this weekend in Cape Town, Western Cape. However, Zuma's actions have cast a shadow over the event, with many speculating on whether his move is about a return to power, revenge or something deeper.
Political analyst Mpumelelo Mkhabela offers insight into Zuma's approach. According to Mkhabela, Zuma wants to destroy the ANC's power while still benefiting from its legacy.
Political analyst Mpumelelo Mkhabela offers insight into Zuma's approach. According to Mkhabela, Zuma wants to destroy the ANC's power while still benefiting from its legacy.
"Zuma wants to have the cake and eat it too," Mkhabela explains, adding: "He's trying to break the ANC's hold on South African politics while still trying to attach himself to its popularity. He knows that he can't match the ANC's power anymore, so he's turning to rival groups like uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party."
Mkhabela also points out that Zuma has always been skilled at playing the factions within the ANC, which helped him rise to the presidency. Even after leaving the ANC, Zuma has continued to use his influence, particularly through the MK Party, which gained traction in the 2024 elections by drawing support away from the ANC.
Teffo has an even sharper take on Zuma's actions, pointing to the fact that Zuma has often said that the ANC will rule South Africa "until Jesus comes back."
The professor also suggests that Zuma sees himself as that very figure coming back to not just challenge the ANC but to end its dominance.
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The return of Jacob Zuma: how no disaster or disgrace is ever enough to sink him
He's like the proverbial cat with nine lives. Nothing ever seems to keep him down - not being sent to jail, being given the boot by his own party, all his legal problems or the fact that many South Africans blame him for a big chunk of the country's woes.
No matter the scandal or how sure his critics are there's no way out, Jacob Zuma always seems to have the last laugh. And instead of being happy to spend his days quietly in Nkandla, the wily 82-year-old has made it clear he still has a big role to play in South African politics.
Five years after he reluctantly resigned as president, Zuma has stepped up to lead the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party, which was launched recently to contest the national elections in May. The man who once declared "the ANC will rule until Jesus Christ returns" is now lending his political clout to a rival party - and to add insult to injury the party has taken the name of the armed wing of the ANC.
In another blow to the ANC, MK was successful in its bid to put Zuma's name in the top spot on its list of election candidates, paving the way for his return to public office. The Electoral Commission (IEC) originally refused to allow this, saying that as Zuma was found guilty of contempt of court and sentenced to jail he was precluded in terms of the constitution from serving in the National Assembly.
Yet Zuma's legal team found a loophole, successfully arguing that because President Cyril Ramaphosa granted Zuma a remission of sentence last year, it rendered his initial 15-month sentence irrelevant.
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Zuma takes veiled swipe at judiciary, mocks political opponents in public address
During his first public appearance after the end of his 15-month sentence, former president Jacob Zuma made a veiled attack on the judiciary while also mocking his political opponents.
Zuma, who received a warm welcome from a large crowd at Freedom Park opposite the Pietermaritzburg High Court, thanked his supporters for backing him throughout his prison sentence. He also claimed that his arrest last year was unwarranted.
"I am prepared for whatever might come my way. The struggle is not yet over. I want to thank you, especially, because when times were tough and I was sent to prison for 15 months, you were there," he told supporters.
"The sad part was that I was arrested for no reason at all. The real reason was because I refused to heed the advice of judges of the Constitutional Court when they asked me to do something that was against the Constitution when they were trying to force me to answer questions even against my own will, which is against the law.
"When they insisted, I then said I would not go to their court; they could do whatever they wanted. I will repeat this again if they take the same stance," threatened Zuma.
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The comments came two days ahead before Europe’s landmark AI Act with transparency rules kick in, the first in the world to regulate a technology used in almost all sectors of businesses and society.
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Anthropic said on Thursday some of its Claude AI models had hacked into the systems of three companies during cybersecurity tests, days after rival OpenAI revealed that one of its AI agents went on a rogue attack.
Both companies have briefed the Commission on the AI incidents, the officials told reporters.
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“We have been informed by the two providers of incidents bilaterally before they become public. We are in contact with them. They will also report to us more information as we speak. We will see also if we need to follow up more formally on those things,” one of the officials said.
Another official talked up the crucial role of Europe’s AI rules.
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“So I think all these, let’s say, incidents highlight the importance of really putting in place the necessary monitoring activities by the developers,” the official said.
The AI rules requires providers of general-purpose AI (GPAI) or foundation models to draw up technical documentation, adopt copyright policies and provide detailed summaries about the content used for algorithm training.
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Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Philip Blenkinsop
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An agenda-setting and market-moving journalist, Foo Yun Chee is a 21-year veteran at Reuters. Her stories on high profile mergers have pushed up the European telecoms index, lifted companies’ shares and helped investors decide on their next move. Her knowledge and experience of European antitrust laws and developments helped her break stories on Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta and Apple, numerous market-moving mergers and antitrust investigations. She has previously reported on Greek politics and companies, when Greece’s entry into the eurozone meant it punched above its weight on the international stage, as well as on Dutch corporate giants and the quirks of Dutch society and culture that never fail to charm readers.
