This archive report was first published on 18 July 2020.
Published on July 18, 2020, the South African government has confirmed that two more ministers have tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the country's total cases to 337,594 with 4,804 deaths.
Mineral Resources and Energy minister Gwede Mantashe and his wife have contracted the virus, while Thulas Nxesi, responsible for the Employment and Labour portfolio, has also been infected.
According to the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), Minister Mantashe underwent his third round of tests since the outbreak and is currently in isolation, working from home.
On the other hand, cabinet spokesperson Phumla Williams stated that Minister Nxesi remains in high spirits and confident that he will beat the virus, adding that he is in self-isolation and will continue to work from home.
South Africa's surge in coronavirus cases comes as Defence and Military Veterans minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has recovered from Covid-19, along with her husband Charles, the national security advisor to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
High-profile individuals like government officials are headlining the continued rise in the number of people contracting the virus, with Deputy minister of Social Development Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu recovering in isolation and Nkosi Holomisa, the deputy minister of Justice and Correctional Services, having recovered.
