King Charles III will host the first state visit of his reign as leader of the Commonwealth, and the honour, believe it or not, has gone to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
King Charles III to host Cyril Ramaphosa: Here’s what we know
On Monday, The Royal Family confirmed that Ramaphosa and his wife, First Lady Dr Tshepo Motsepe, have accepted an invitation to visit the King and Queen Consort. The visit is set to take place from Tuesday, 22 November, to Thursday, 24 November 2022.
🇿🇦 President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has accepted an invitation from The King to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom from 22nd to 24th November 2022.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 3, 2022
Further details will be released in due course.
According to Sky News, Â before the Queen’s passing in September 2022, the trip was in the early stages of planning.
Former president Jacob Zuma visited the state in 2010. It has been more than ten years since a South African leader officially travelled to the United Kingdom. Former presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki also made state visits to Britain.
Queen Elizabeth II shared a particularly close relationship with Mandela, the first democratically elected president of South Africa. Charles was a guest at the state banquet in 1996 when Mandela paid a state visit. This was after the post-apartheid country had rejoined the Commonwealth.
The King is no stranger to South Africa. He has travelled to the country several times since 1997, visiting Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban.
Ramaphosa will be ceremoniously welcomed upon his arrival at Horse Guards Parade. From there, he will attend the monarch’s formal supper.
Though the news of the state visit comes as Ramaphosa faces allegations of money laundering in South Africa.
Ramaphosa has been accused of covering up a robbery at his Phala Phala farm in February 2020. The scandal broke out in June 2022.
He has continuously denied the allegations, which include illegally holding about four million dollars in cash. Ramaphosa said he would run for a second term as president and head of the ANC in the 2024 general elections.