Ramaphosa booked off as eThekwini campaign tour is suspended

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been booked off from public engagements on medical advice after returning from the Brics Summit in India, and his party has suspended a planned campaign programme in eThekwini.

The Presidency announced the decision on Wednesday, 17 September 2026, and did not disclose the nature of the illness. Ramaphosa returned from the summit on Monday.

“President Ramaphosa, who returned from the Brics Summit in India on Monday, has been advised by his medical team to rest and recover,” his spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said. “Where possible, the president has asked the respective Ministers to represent him at scheduled public engagements.”

Campaigning in eThekwini put on hold

Before leaving for India, Ramaphosa had been on the campaign trail for the ANC ahead of the local government and municipal election on 4 November 2026. That programme has now been stopped.

“The ANC joins South Africans in wishing President Ramaphosa strength and good health as he takes the necessary time to rest and recover. We look forward to his return to his responsibilities and public engagements,” ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said.

“Consequently, the president’s planned campaign programme in eThekwini has been suspended. The ANC will communicate revised details of the programme once the president has recovered and is able to resume public engagements.”

The party asked its members, its supporters and the public to give the president the time he needs to recuperate.

Work carries on through the ministers

The practical effect of the announcement is that scheduled public engagements will be handled by the relevant ministers while the president rests, under an instruction he gave himself. The Presidency has not said how long the period of rest will last, and it has not named the engagements that will be reassigned.

The decision lands in the middle of an election campaign in which the president is one of the ANC’s most visible draws, which is why the suspension of the eThekwini programme carries weight beyond the diary. The party says it will publish revised campaign details once he is able to resume public engagements.

Mashatile back at work after procedure

Deputy President Paul Mashatile said earlier this week that his health is improving after a minor medical procedure in early August. He thanked his family, his medical team and colleagues, and the president, saying their support had been a source of strength.

Mashatile delegated responsibilities to his office and to other government leaders while he rested on medical advice, and said he was committed to returning to work with renewed energy and dedication. His office confirmed he had joined some meetings virtually, and he has missed several public events since July.

The procedure came less than two years after Mashatile collapsed at an event in Limpopo in 2024, when doctors found nothing serious.

What happens next

The ANC has said it will release revised details of the eThekwini campaign programme once the president has recovered and can resume public engagements. The local government and municipal election is set for 4 November 2026.

Source: The Citizen, Ramaphosa booked off after returning from Brics Summit in India