Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi has become the second member of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet to be admitted to hospital due to the COVID-19.
Nxesi was admitted to hospital last night on the advice of his medical doctors, almost a week after testing positive for coronavirus and went into self-quarantine at his home.
“His admission to hospital comes on the advice of his medical doctors, in order for him to have access to better medical attention and proper monitoring,” a cabinet statement reads.
On Monday, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe was also admitted to hospital after contracting the virus about a week ago. Mantashe’s wife, Nolwandle, who also tested positive for the disease, remain in self-quarantine. Mantashe was taken to hospital on the advice of the family doctor to “get better medical attention and monitoring”.
“We wish both Minister Nxesi and Minister Mantashe well and a speedy recovery,” Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu said.
The admission of the two ministers to hospital comes in the wake of three premiers testing positive for COVID-19 – North West’s Job Mokgoro, Western Cape’s Alan Winde and Gauteng’s David Makhura.
