- A German official suffered a health scare during the official visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Tuesday.
- The official, identified only as Scholz's advisor, appeared unable to stand upright and was assisted by a member of his delegation.
- No updates have been given regarding his condition.
A member of the German delegation accompanying German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on an official visit to South Africa suffered a medical emergency on Tuesday morning, and had to be whisked away from proceedings at the Union Buildings.
The incident occurred just after a 21-gun salute by members of the SA National Defence Force, which left the vicinity of the Union Buildings enveloped in smoke.
The German official, only identified as Scholz’s advisor, required assistance after he seemed unable to remain standing as the SA national anthem was about to be sung.
He was quickly aided by another member of the German contingent, and a medical team was called in.
The reason for his apparent ill-health is unclear at this stage.
President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed Scholz and his delegation to the Union Buildings, and the two leaders were due to exchange views on a number of bilateral issues.
Trade and investment are major components of bilateral relations between the two countries. South Africa’s total trade with Germany is R266 billion, and its exports, a significant percentage of which consist of value-added products, account for R155 billion a year.
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