The health of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi has taken a turn for the worse.

Sources close to Buthelezi have told Scrolla.Africa that his condition deteriorated on Friday and that he was transferred from his ward back to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a private hospital in Durban.

"The situation is getting worse and his son Prince Ntuthukoyezwe and the Zululand Mayor Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi were not happy at all," a source said.

"We are all praying and asking God to keep him maybe until the elections. But it is very bad because that week he was on life support."

The private hospital located near the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Howard College has become the centre of attention as updates on Prince Buthelezi's health unfold.

There are concerns that Prince Buthelezi, the traditional prime minister to the Zulu nation, may be battling pneumonia, adding to his already serious health challenges.

Family spokesperson Bhekuyise Buthelezi has recently disclosed that the leader has encountered additional complications, but did not elaborate.

Attempts to reach him for further comment have been met with unanswered calls.

Similarly, Buthelezi's spokesperson, Liezl Van der Merwe, has not answered questions about his health.