President Cyril Ramaphosa has designated Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe as the Acting President of South Africa from May 18 to 22.

Ramaphosa and Deputy President Paul Mashatile will undertake simultaneous working visits to the US and France respectively.

Ramaphosa left on Monday, for his trip to the US, where he is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump, to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of interest.

The trip comes after the US administration welcomed 59 white South Africans, as the first batch of Afrikaners to be granted “refugee status” by Trump, supported by the belief that they had been persecuted and amid claims of genocide.

Mashatile’s visit to France, is aimed at strengthening relations between the two countries and aims to mobilise investments.

Mashatile is accompanied by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi; Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams; Transport Minister Barbara Creecy; Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie; Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille; International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Alvin Botes; Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Buti Manamela; Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Zuko Godlimpi and Electricity and Energy Minister Samantha Graham-Mare.