Former South African President Jacob Zuma has been involved in a car accident

Former South African President Jacob Zuma has been involved in a car accident but was not injured.

A drunk driver collided with his “official armored car” on Thursday evening, police said. But a senior member of his uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party claimed he was being targeted.

He has been suspended by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and is campaigning for MK ahead of May’s general election.Mr. Zuma was in the car, along with his official security team, when it crashed on a road in KwaZulu-Natal province at around 12:40 local time (16:40 GMT) on Thursday.

“No one was injured, including members of the Presidential Protection Services. The former president was evacuated and taken to his residence,” a brief police statement said.

A 51-year-old man has been arrested for “drunk driving and… reckless driving”.

MK’s election chief, Musa Mkhize, has told the SABC broadcaster that he feels it was a conspiracy rather than an accident.

“Unfortunately, we have been waiting for it to happen. The President was warned that before election day he will be hospitalized. We thank the members of the Presidential Protection Unit who managed to keep the President safe,” he was quoted as saying by News24. Mr. Zuma, 81, served as president from 2009 to 2018, when he was forced to step down due to allegations of corruption, which he denies.