President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent condolences to the people of Burundi following the death of their president, Pierre Nkurunziza.
Ramaphosa, in his capacity as African Union chairperson, also called on Burundians to remain calm and maintain peace.
Nkurunziza, who died yesterday at the age of 55 following a short illness, was the east African country’s second democratically elected president and the first after their civil war.
According to a statement of the Burundian government on Twitter, Nkurunziza died of a heart attack at a hospital in Karuzi, eastern Burundi. He had attended a volleyball match on Saturday and was taken to hospital later that day.
“Burundi and all of Africa have lost a leader who was devoted to people-centred sustainable development, self-reliance, the sovereignty of his people and country, as well as peace on the Continent,” said Ramaphosa.
“It was under the leadership of President Nkurunziza that Burundi became one of the major troop contributing countries in the African Union Mission in Somalia. Burundi also deployed troops in the Central African Republic,” he added.
Nkurunziza, whose decision in 2015 to run for a third term led to widespread violence, which left at least 1200 people dead and forced 400 000 to flee the country, last visited South Africa in November 2014, concluding bilateral agreements on business and cultural cooperation, among others.
Burundi has recently emerged from presidential, legislative and municipal elections, the run-up of which was marred by violence.
A former rebel leader, Nkurunziza’s term was to end in August, with president-elect General Major Evariste Ndayishimiye, set to take over after winning the elections last month.
