Cape Town – The Presidency has dismissed claims that President Cyril Ramaphosa secretly travelled to Mauritius over the festive period, insisting the trip was public knowledge and constitutional procedures were followed.
According to The Citizen, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe served as acting president from 21 to 27 December while Ramaphosa was on a short, self-funded family holiday.
“Firstly, the trip to Mauritius was not a secret. How can the president boarding a commercial flight be a secret? Were there no other passengers on the flight or other people at the airport?
The Presidency says claims that President Ramaphosa’s Mauritius holiday was kept secret are false. Minister Gwede Mantashe was acting president at the time, and Ramaphosa paid for the trip himself.
Read the full story herehttps://t.co/qhOObi56Qs— Scrolla Africa (@ScrollaAfrica) January 5, 2026
“Secondly, minister Mantashe was the acting president between the 21st and 27th of December. It will be unconstitutional to leave the country without an acting president. Indeed, the president paid his own way to a short family vacation to Mauritius. Why is that an issue? Is there a law that says he can’t go on holiday? the report quoted Magwenya as saying.
According to reports, Ramaphosa took a short break to Mauritius with his support team and returned refreshed to deliver his New Year’s message to the nation.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
