Presidency Pushes Back on Mauritius Getaway Claims, Says Ramaphosa Followed the Rules

A Holiday That Sparked a Political Stir

In South Africa, even a short holiday by the president can quickly become a national talking point. That’s exactly what happened after questions surfaced about President Cyril Ramaphosa’s brief Christmas break in Mauritius, a trip that, according to the Presidency, was entirely above board.

Last week, speculation swirled that the president’s time away had been kept quiet and that the country was left without an acting head of state. The Presidency has now firmly rejected those claims, calling them misleading and unnecessary.

“No Secret at All,” Says the Presidency

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya dismissed suggestions that the trip was concealed, saying the facts simply don’t support that narrative.

He pointed out that Ramaphosa travelled openly and that there was nothing clandestine about the journey. “How can the president boarding a flight be a secret?” Magwenya asked, adding that airports and flights are public spaces filled with staff and passengers.

Crucially, Magwenya confirmed that Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe was formally designated as acting president from 21 to 27 December, in line with constitutional requirements.

“It would be unconstitutional for the president to leave the country without appointing an acting president,” he said.

A Short Break After a Long Year

According to the Presidency, Ramaphosa travelled to Mauritius with his support team over the Christmas period to rest after what has been widely described as a demanding and politically intense year.

When he returned, many South Africans noticed a lighter tone as he delivered his New Year’s message thanking citizens for their resilience during what he called a difficult 2025, and urging collective effort to build a better future.

On social media, reactions were mixed but familiar: some defended the president’s right to take a break, while others questioned optics in a country grappling with unemployment, load shedding and rising living costs.

Who Paid and Why It Matters

Another point of contention was how the trip was funded. Magwenya stressed that Ramaphosa paid for the short family holiday himself, questioning why this had become controversial at all.

“Is there a law that says the president can’t go on holiday?” he asked, reflecting a broader frustration within the Presidency over what it views as manufactured outrage.

In South Africa’s political climate, transparency around travel has become especially sensitive, shaped by past controversies involving state-funded luxury and misuse of public resources.

Context: Shadows of Past Travel Scandals

The scrutiny around the Mauritius trip comes just days after the Public Protector cleared the Presidency and the Department of Defence of wrongdoing in the so-called Inkwazi aircraft scandal.

That investigation centred on catering costs during Ramaphosa’s return flight from the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, where meals reportedly cost R24,000 per passenger. The probe followed a complaint by DA leader John Steenhuisen and attracted widespread public attention in 2023.

The ruling appears to have reinforced the Presidency’s insistence that recent allegations around the Mauritius holiday lack substance.

A Familiar Debate in SA Politics

Beyond the specifics of this trip, the episode reflects a broader tension in South African politics: how leaders balance personal downtime with public expectations in a country facing deep social and economic pressures.

For now, the Presidency’s position is clear, the trip was legal, transparent and responsibly handled. Whether that puts the matter to rest may depend less on facts, and more on public trust in leadership at a time when every move at the top is closely watched.

{Source: The Citizen}

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