The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday dismissed social media reports claiming that several world leaders fell sick after attending the BRICS Summit in India, calling the posts “fake” and warning against their circulation.
The ministry's fact-checking unit issued the clarification amid online claims involving leaders who attended the summit, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
MEA calls reports ‘fake’
In a post on X, the MEA's fact-checking unit cautioned users against what it described as malicious social media posts.
“Fake Alert!!! 🚨🚨🚨 We caution against such malicious posts on social media platforms!” it said.
The clarification came after reports surrounding Ramaphosa's health following his return from India began circulating online.
What happened to Ramaphosa?
The Presidency of South Africa confirmed that Ramaphosa had been withdrawn from public engagements because of ill health after returning from the BRICS Summit. He returned to South Africa on Monday, September 14, and was advised by his medical team to rest and recover.
“The Presidency wishes to advise that, due to ill health, President Cyril Ramaphosa is currently booked off from public engagements.”
The Presidency said ministers would represent him at scheduled engagements where possible. Ramaphosa had participated in the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, including sessions on global governance and inclusive growth.
His absence came as South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile was also recovering from a minor medical procedure.
“On the advice of my doctors, I will continue resting until advised otherwise while work and delegated responsibilities continue to be underway in the capable team in my office with other stakeholders in government, business and other sectors,” Mashatile said.
Unverified claims about Xi
Alongside the reports about Ramaphosa, several unverified social media posts claimed that Chinese President Xi Jinping had left the BRICS Summit early because of medical reasons and returned to China on a special aircraft.
The MEA, however, specifically described the broader claims about multiple world leaders falling sick after the summit as fake.
The BRICS Summit was held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13 under India's chairship. Ramaphosa had arrived in India on September 11 and took part in the summit's official engagements.