President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga as Acting President of South Africa.
The appointment came as both Ramaphosa and Deputy President Paul Mashatile are temporarily out of the country.
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The appointment was confirmed in a statement released on Wednesday by the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa via its official Twitter handle.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms Angie Motshekga, to serve as Acting President of the Republic of South Africa during the concurrent absence from the country of both the President and the Deputy President,” the statement read.
The presidency explained that the appointment was made in accordance with Section 90(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, which outlines provisions for delegating presidential authority if both the President and Deputy President are unable to perform their official duties.
President Ramaphosa is undertaking an official visit to Ireland today, Wednesday, 8 October 2025, and will thereafter attend the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, Kingdom of Belgium, on Thursday, 9 October 2025.
“During this period, Minister Motshekga will accordingly serve as Acting President of the Republic of South Africa,” the Presidency added.
In contrast, a similar scenario in Nigeria last October drew criticism. President Bola Tinubu was on a two-week vacation in the United Kingdom while Vice President Kashim Shettima was in Sweden on official business.
Despite public concerns over a potential leadership vacuum, the presidency defended the situation, stating that neither the President nor the Vice President is constitutionally required to be physically present in the country to fulfil their duties.
