South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Defence Minister Angie Motshekga to serve as acting president on Saturday while he travels to Zimbabwe for a regional summit, his office said on its website.
Ramaphosa is visiting Harare to take part in a summit of the Southern African Development Community.
The heads of state and government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are gathering in Zimbabwe’s capital on Saturday for the 44th summit of the bloc.
The summit will be held under the theme "Promoting innovation to unlock opportunities for sustained economic growth and development towards an industrialized SADC."
The summit will see Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa assuming the chair of the 16-member bloc, taking over from Angola’s President Joao Lourenco.
The summit is also expected to discuss the rising issue of mpox outbreaks in several countries in the continent.
This week, the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreaks in Africa a global health emergency.
Six Nigerian imams abducted on their way to pray for president's re-election
Armed men, locally known as bandits, have kidnapped six imams in a northern Nigeria, police said on Sunday.
