South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa tested positive for Covid-19
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at a church in Cape Town on December 12, 2021, during a ceremony in honor of Frederik de Klerk.
REUTERS - MIKE HUTCHINGS
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Tested positive for Covid-19 this Sunday, December 12, the South African president is suffering from mild symptoms.
The same morning, Cyril Ramphosa, 69, gave a speech in the presence of about 200 people in a church in Cape Town to pay tribute to the former president, Frederik de Klerk.
Its contamination comes as South Africa faces a fourth epidemic wave fueled by the Omicron variant.
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His speech in
tribute to Frederik de Klerk
, in front of a few hundred spectators on Sunday, December 12, was interrupted by a cough.
In the evening, the South African presidency revealed that Cyril Ramaphosa had tested positive for Covid-19.
He had started to feel bad as he left the ceremony.
President @CyrilRamaphosa tests positive for COVID-19 https://t.co/GxunjqSePr
- Presidency |
South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) December 12, 2021
The Presidency advises people who have been in contact with him to monitor their health and get tested.
In a statement, President Ramaphosa said he wanted his infection to serve as a warning to encourage people to remain vigilant.
Back from a tour in 4 African countries
South Africa is at the heart of a fourth epidemic wave fueled by the
Omicron variant, detected in the country at the end of November
.
18,000 new cases have still been identified in the last 24 hours.
More than a quarter of the tests come back positive.
Cyril Ramaphosa is
returning from a tour of West Africa, which ended on December 8, after having visited four countries.
On this occasion, he had been tested several times.
No infections were found.
The Head of State recalls that he is vaccinated and that his fellow citizens should do the same.
Only 37% of the adult population is vaccinated.
South Africa is the most affected country on the African continent with 90,000 deaths and 3 million infections.
The president, in office since 2018 and re-elected in 2019, says he has morale and is monitored by doctors from the South African army.
In solitary confinement, he delegates the reins of power to his vice-president, David Mabuza.
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Cyril Ramaphosa