President of South Africa sidelined from public events due to illness

President of South Africa sidelined from public events due to illness

The President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, has suspended his participation in public events due to health reasons, following his doctors' advice. This was announced by his office on September 16.

The 73-year-old Ramaphosa returned to South Africa on September 14 after the BRICS summit held in India. Doctors advised him to rest and undergo treatment. The president's office said in a statement that Ramaphosa had asked ministers to represent him at scheduled public events.

No information was provided on when he would return to work. The country's Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, is also resting on doctors' advice following medical treatment.

He will attend the 2026 session of the UN General Assembly.

Lamola travels to the US at a time when diplomatic relations between the two countries have unexpectedly deteriorated. The US has imposed visa restrictions on some South African citizens, citing racial discrimination.

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has put forward false claims that the minority white Afrikaners are being persecuted in South Africa. South Africa rejects these allegations.

According to the country's officials, there is no evidence of discrimination against white people. The government also emphasized that it has the right to pursue appropriate policies to address the consequences of centuries-old racial injustice. The President of South Africa accused Trump of racism in March.