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South African executive medical leave

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2026-09-17 08:01 UTC → 2026-09-17 18:25 UTC · added ~~removed~~

South African executive leadership is facing simultaneous health challenges involving both the President and Deputy President. Deputy President Paul Mashatile has been recovering from a minor surgical procedure performed in early August. While he has been participating in some proceedings via virtual platforms, he has remained off normal duties to regain strength. Following this, President Cyril Ramaphosa has been advised by medical teams to withdraw from public duties to recover from an unspecified illness following his return from the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. The Presidency has stated that Ramaphosa remains in charge of government operations and has not designated an acting president, instead requesting that ministers represent him at scheduled engagements. This simultaneous absence of the country’s top two leaders occurs ahead of the municipal elections scheduled for November 4. In response to the President’s health status, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has issued a fact-check warning regarding social media claims suggesting multiple world leaders fell ill after the summit. While confirming Ramaphosa’s illness, the Ministry labeled reports of other leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, falling ill as ‘fake’ and ‘malicious’. The Ministry noted there is no evidence linking the health of these leaders to the BRICS summit in India.

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