South African President Ramaphosa Withdraws From Public Duties Over Ill Health
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has temporarily withdrawn from public engagements after returning from the BRICS summit in India, with the presidency saying he has been advised by his medical team to rest and recover.
Ramaphosa, 73, returned to South Africa on Monday following the two-day BRICS summit in New Delhi, which took place on September 12 and 13. The summit brought together leaders and representatives from BRICS member and partner countries, with discussions including global governance, economic cooperation, resilience, innovation and international security.
The presidency announced on Wednesday that Ramaphosa had been booked off from public engagements because of ill health. It did not provide details about the nature or severity of his condition.
“Where possible, the President has asked the respective Ministers to represent him at scheduled public engagements,” the presidency said.
Ramaphosa’s absence comes as Deputy President Paul Mashatile is also away from some public duties while recovering from a minor medical procedure.
Mashatile said on Tuesday that his recovery was progressing well and that he was regaining strength each day. He said he would continue resting on the advice of his doctors while his official responsibilities and delegated work continued to be handled by his office and relevant stakeholders.
“I wish to thank my family, the medical team who continue to care for me, my team in the office, my colleagues in Government, and most importantly, President Cyril Ramaphosa and all South Africans who have sent messages of support,” Mashatile said.
His office previously said he had become unwell at home in Johannesburg, received medical attention and underwent a minor surgical procedure before being discharged. It has stressed that his recovery is progressing well while declining to comment on unverified claims about his health.
The simultaneous absence of South Africa’s president and deputy president comes during an important period for the country, with local government elections scheduled for November 4.
Ramaphosa’s withdrawal from public engagements is temporary, and the presidency has not announced a date for his return to his full public schedule. His ministers are expected to represent him at engagements where necessary while he follows medical advice.
The development has also attracted attention because it follows Ramaphosa’s recent international engagements at the BRICS summit in India. However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has separately rejected social media claims suggesting that Ramaphosa and other world leaders became ill because of something that occurred at the summit, describing such reports as false.
The South African presidency has provided no indication that Ramaphosa’s current illness is connected to his participation in the BRICS summit. Its official statement only says that he returned on Monday and was subsequently advised by his medical team to rest and recover.
