Deputy president no longer in danger!

DEPUTY President Paul Mashatile has taken a week off after a collapsing incident.

Mzansi was left shocked on Saturday, 14 September, when Mashatile collapsed while on stage in Limpopo. The office of the Presidency attributed this to dehydration.

On Wednesday, 18 September, his office announced that he had cancelled all his engagements for the week after being advised by his medical team.

His spokesman, Keith Khoza, said Mashatile has been advised by his medical team to take a week off his official duties to rest and recuperate following the medical incident over the weekend in Tzaneen, Limpopo.

He said while the deputy president's no longer in any danger and is in high spirits, he's following the medical team's advice and has withdrawn from scheduled official duties for the current week.

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Mashatile was due to brief the Council on the 7th Administration's plans to improve the performance of municipalities and accelerate service delivery challenges in some municipalities. The meeting was to be chaired by the chairwoman of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Refilwe Tsipane.

Khoza said the deputy president has written to chairwoman Tsipane to request a postponement of the session, and she has kindly agreed to the request. He further said the deputy president's request was also prompted by the passing of former minister and stalwart Dr Pravin Gordhan earlier this week.

"The funeral of the former minister will be in KwaZulu-Natal, and the deputy president thought it prudent to allow members and former colleagues of the minister the opportunity to fully pay their respects and to show their support to the Gordhan family at this difficult time," he said.

Khoza said the office of the deputy president and the NCOP will communicate the alternative arrangements for the postponed session as soon as they are agreed and finalised.