Foreign
South African president arrives in UK for king’s first state visit
South Africa
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday landed in Britain ahead of the first state visit hosted by King Charles III as monarch.
London Stansted
Ramaphosa arrived at London Stansted airport on a South African Air Force jet and was met by a British military guard of honour.
Buckingham Palace
The official programme starts on Tuesday and will include a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
Queen Elizabeth II
The last state visit to the UK came in June 2019, when Queen Elizabeth II hosted US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania.
South Africa
The pomp of the major diplomatic event, however, will be clouded by events in South Africa, where Ramaphosa risks impeachment for allegedly covering up a crime.
Climate change, trade and Charles’s vision for the Commonwealth are expected to be on the agenda.
Westminster Abbey in September
Ramaphosa was last in London for the state funeral of the queen at Westminster Abbey in September.
South African
His state visit comes more than a decade after the last by a South African leader, when Jacob Zuma came to the UK in 2010.
Charles and Queen Consort Camilla
Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will be in charge of welcoming Ramaphosa and First Lady Tshepo Motsepe but will also see the visiting couple meet other senior royals.
Prince William
Heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Kate, Princess of Wales, will take him to join Charles and Camilla for a ceremonial military welcome.
Prince Edward
Charles’s youngest brother Prince Edward has also been recruited to accompany Ramaphosa to London’s Kew Gardens and a biomedical research centre.
Prime Minister
Also on the agenda is an address to lawmakers from both houses of parliament and a meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Downing Street.
Ramaphosa was Zuma’s deputy in 2014 and gained the presidency in 2018.
African National Congress
But he is currently fighting for his political life and facing calls to resign as the deeply divided ruling party African National Congress (ANC) is to hold a vote on its leadership in December.
A scandal in which Ramaphosa is accused of concealing a multi-million dollar cash theft has piled pressure on him.
He faces an accusation that he failed to report a heist at his luxury cattle farmhouse in which robbers took $4 million in cash and instead organised for the robbers to be kidnapped and bribed into silence.
The president has acknowledged a burglary but denies kidnapping and bribery, saying he reported the break-in to the police.
South Africa
A panel appointed by South Africa’s parliament is set to determine whether to impeach him.
