President Cyril Ramaphosa during oral replies at the National Assembly in Parliament, Cape Town. South Africa. 14/03/2018. Siyabulela Duda
President Cyril Ramaphosa during oral replies at the National Assembly in Parliament, Cape Town. South Africa. 14/03/2018. Siyabulela Duda
After recently making the trip to London to pay his respects to the late Queen Elizabeth, Cyril Ramaphosa will soon play a small part in British history. The President will be the first world leader to make an official state visit to the country under the leadership of King Charles III.
Ramaphosa to visit King Charles
It means there will be more jet-setting for Cyril Ramaphosa, just weeks before the ANC Elective Conference gets underway. Our head of state has been clocking up the air miles recently, and November will see him add another 12 000 through this return trip.
The state visit will be hosted by Buckingham Palace, allowing Mr. Ramaphosa and the First Lady to meet with King Charles on a more personal basis. The ANC leader did attend a reception at the royal home last month, ahead of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.
When will Cyril Ramaphosa leave the country?
Ramaphosa will have to settle for a midweek appointment, however. As per the official Royal Communications channel, Cyril will be in the UK from Tuesday 22 November to Thursday 24 November, clocking up three days of official state duties.
King Charles is an active leader of Commonwealth Nations, and has visited South Africa many times over the years. His first official visit took place in 1997, where he attended events in Cape Town, Nyanga, Kirstenbosch, and Johannesburg.
King Charles picks SA president for his first state visit
However, it will be the ANC leader who does the travelling this time. Ramaphosa has previously been criticised for focusing too much on jet-setting, rather than tackling a myriad of domestic issues. But that negative attention hasn’t done anything to alter his future plans.
“The President of Thee Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, accompanied by First Lady Tshepo Motsepe, has accepted an invitation from King Charles III to pay a state visit to the United Kingdom, from Tuesday 22 November to Thursday 24 November.” | Royal Communications
