Overview
- The presidency said on Wednesday that 73-year-old Cyril Ramaphosa has been booked off from public engagements on doctors' advice and will rest and recover.
- Ramaphosa returned from the BRICS leaders' summit in India on Monday before being advised to step back from public duties.
- The president asked cabinet ministers to represent him at scheduled events and Deputy President Paul Mashatile is also resting after a medical procedure.
- The South African Broadcasting Corporation reported that Foreign Affairs Minister Ronald Lamola will lead the country's delegation to this year's U.N. General Assembly in New York, arriving as the United States has imposed visa restrictions on some South Africans.
- The government rejects U.S. claims of race-based persecution and says its policies aim to remedy long-standing racial inequality, a dispute that could shape diplomatic talks and South Africa's representation at the U.N.; domestic leadership gaps may also affect preparations for the November 4 local elections.