South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has fallen ill from Covid-19 and is receiving treatment at his Cape Town home, the Presidency said on Monday.
Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele said Ramaphosa tested positive for the virus on Sunday after addressing the State Memorial Service of former deputy president FW de Klerk in Cape Town.
According to Gungubele, Deputy President David Mabuza has taken over all responsibilities of the presidency until Ramaphosa recovered from the highly infectious disease which has a new variant the UN World Health Organisation named Omicron two weeks ago.
“The president, who is fully vaccinated, is in self-isolation in Cape Town and has delegated all responsibilities to Deputy President David Mabuza for the next week,” Gungubele added.
He said Ramaphosa was “in good spirits but is being monitored by the South African Military Health Service of the South African National Defence Force.”
“President Ramaphosa says his own infection serves as a caution to all people in the country to be vaccinated and remain vigilant against exposure,” Gungubele said.
The minister said in a statement that Sunday’s “proceedings in Cape Town were undertaken in compliance with health regulations pertaining to hand hygiene, the wearing of face masks and social distancing.”
The president was on a week-long series of state visits to West Africa, and while there Ramaphosa repeatedly tested negative for Covid-19 on his tour of Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast which ended on 8 December, his office said.
NM/jn/APA