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Deputy President Paul Mashatile had to receive medical treatment on Saturday after he collapsed during a speech at an event in Limpopo.

Mashatile was attending the N’waMitwa Day celebrations in Tzaneen in his capacity as chairperson of the Presidential Task Team on matters of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders when he suddenly fell ill and had to be carried away.

A video of the collapse quickly circulated on social media, per The Citizen, capturing the unsettling moment Mashatile struggled to find his words. Clearly disoriented, he pauses briefly as if trying to gather himself but just seconds later, his body gives way—he sways, crumpling to the ground, only to be caught mid-fall by a vigilant security official.

@yatifyx Deputy President Paul Mashatile has collapsed on the podium while addressing N’wamitwa Day in Tzaneen in Limpopo. He was rushed to hospital. Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba says Mashatile is fine after the collapse. Ramathuba says the public should not be alarmed by the situation. She suspects that heat exhaustion could have led to the collapse. She however did not reveal where Mashatile was taken for treatment after the collapse. #southafricans #southafrica #mashatile #nwamitwaday #day #capetown #vicepresident #collapse #limpopo ♬ original sound – Yatify

Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba, who is a medical doctor, said the deputy president was doing fine after collapsing because of the heat and possible dehydration.

“He was addressing a meeting when he started feeling unwell. Security took him to a car and he was taken to another location for assessment by medical personnel. Rushing him to a hospital would have taken longer, and may have complicated issues further.

“Medical professionals checked his condition and found nothing serious. They cleared him shortly after,” Mashatile’s spokesperson Keith Khoza told The Citizen.

The temperatures in the area had reached as high as 39 degrees and Mashatile was found to have been dehydrated. It comes just days after he complained of suffering “food poisoning or something” that left him weak.

“He is in good spirits, as he usually is, and there is no cause for alarm,” he added.

One resident, Excellent Ngobeni, told The Citizen others had collapsed because of the heat.

“It is very hot here in Limpopo. My child, Nhlamulo, also collapsed on the way to extra lessons. I am not surprised that the deputy president collapsed.”

The N’waMitwa Day celebration commemorates the inauguration of Her Royal Highness Hosi Dr N’waMitwa II, which took place on August 29, 2008, as a pioneer woman traditional leader among the Vatsonga people, the official government website said.

The installation of Hosi N’waMitwa II advances the Constitutional values of gender equality and non-discrimination in the country, the government said of the event.

Deputy President @PMashatile plants a tree at the Valoyi Cultural Village ahead of his keynote address at the N’wamitwa Day Celebrations. The Deputy President is welcomed with songs and dancing by the community of the Greater Tzaneen. pic.twitter.com/qAXep6VrBj

— The Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) September 14, 2024

Just hours before Mashatile collapsed, he was greeted with vibrant songs and lively dancing as the community of Greater Tzaneen welcomed him at a tree-planting ceremony held at the Valoyi Cultural Village.

The air was filled with celebration, marking his arrival with warmth and tradition, until the heat got to him.

[source:citizen]