Angie Motshekga appointed as acting president
Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, has been appointed to serve as Acting President of the Republic of South Africa from 17 to 19 June 2025.
Minister Angie Motshekga has been announced as acting president while President Ramaphosa conducts a working visit to Canada to attend the G7 Leadership Summit.
In a short statement, the Presidency said the current Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, is also on a working visit to Moscow in the Russian Federation.
Motshekga, the current Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, will serve as Acting President of the Republic of South Africa from June 17 to 19, 2025.
Motshekga was also appointed Acting President back in August last year and back in 2021, as well as in 2019.
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The South African
a day ago
- The South African
Angie Motshekga named acting president of South Africa
Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga will serve as South Africa's Acting President from 17 to 19 June 2025, the Presidency confirmed this week. Her appointment comes as both President Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President Paul Mashatile embark on international trips – Ramaphosa to Canada for the G7 Summit and Mashatile to Moscow for a diplomatic visit. The decision falls under Section 90(1)(b) of the Constitution, which permits the president to designate an acting head of state during periods of absence. This is not Angie Motshekga's first time in the role. The veteran politician, born in Soweto, has previously served as acting president on several occasions, including in 2019, 2021, and most recently, in August 2024. Her temporary leadership continues to mark a historic precedent for women in South African politics. Best known for her long tenure as Minister of Basic Education, Motshekga played a key role in managing the sector through challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Her recent transition to the defence portfolio placed her at the heart of national security during a period of heightened global uncertainty. Her latest appointment reflects her growing stature within the government as South Africa strengthens its diplomatic ties abroad. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
Angie Motshekga appointed as acting president
Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, has been appointed to serve as Acting President of the Republic of South Africa from 17 to 19 June 2025. Minister Angie Motshekga has been announced as acting president while President Ramaphosa conducts a working visit to Canada to attend the G7 Leadership Summit. In a short statement, the Presidency said the current Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, is also on a working visit to Moscow in the Russian Federation. Motshekga, the current Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, will serve as Acting President of the Republic of South Africa from June 17 to 19, 2025. Motshekga was also appointed Acting President back in August last year and back in 2021, as well as in 2019.
The Citizen
4 days ago
- The Citizen
WATCH: Second group of SANDF troops return to SA, more to arrive on Monday
It is hoped that all SA military officials deployed to the DRC will be back in SA by the end of June. 257 SA National Defence Force (SANDF) members have arrived in South Africa on Sunday, with another group expected on Monday afternoon. The troops were returning from a Southern African Development Community (Sadc) mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). They were on the frontline of a conflict between the Congolese army and M23 rebel fighters, which raged for three years in the East of that country until a ceasefire was called in April. WATCH: The group's arrival at Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria SECOND GROUP OF SANDF SOLDIERS BACK IN SOUTH AFRICA — Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) June 15, 2025 On Friday, 249 troops touched down at the Waterkloof Air Force Base outside Pretoria. They have been transported to Bloemfontein in the Free State to be debriefed, demobilised, assessed, receive counselling, and be reunited with their families. Around 250 more troops are due to touchdown on SA soil on Monday. SANDF chief of joint operations Siphiwe Sangweni said on Friday that several flights carrying troops will land in SA over the next few weeks. 'With bigger aircrafts, it will now be nine trips bringing our soldiers back to South Africa. The frequency of those aircraft moving will be almost every second day.' Around 2 000 troops from SA, Malawi, and Tanzania are reportedly still in the DRC. It is hoped that all SA military officials deployed to the region and their equipment will be back in SA by the end of June. 'We are fully aware that half the work is done in terms of prime mission equipment. Hence, we are working around the clock with our counterparts in the region to ensure that the process runs expeditiously with minimal logistical risks,' defence minister Angie Motshekga said. Mission a success, says SANDF Last month, South African National Defence Force (SANDF) head, General Rudzani Maphwanya and Motshekga called the mission a success and said it had contributed to peace in the area. The DA slammed this, calling the deployment a 'national tragedy'. 'The death of 14 South African soldiers and a further 174 injured in battle – brave men and women sent into an unstable conflict zone without air support, adequate equipment, or a coherent operational mandate – is not a success story. It is a national tragedy. 'Their blood is on Minister Motshekga's hands. Whilst the returning troops make their way back to South Africa, the minister continues to spin political fairy tales instead of reckoning with the facts.' It claimed that SA troops were paid less than a quarter of the stipend they were allegedly allocated, while Tanzanian and Malawian troops on the same mission 'earned nearly double'. ALSO READ: What is taking so long? Why SANDF troops can't get a lift home Minister a no-show to Parliament – twice No reason for the discrepancy had been given, but it was among the issues likely to come up when the minister appeared before Parliament on 9 May. But Motshekga did not show up. Instead, she was in Russia, on instruction from the ANC, to attend World War II Victory Day celebrations. While Parliamentarians raged, committee chairperson and ANC member Malusi Gigaba defended the minister. The minister failed to pitch to committee meetings again a week later. Additional reporting by Jarryd Westerdale and Chulumanco Mahamba NOW READ: 'A nation that values its military doesn't treat its soldiers as disposable'
