The Prime Minister of Eswatini has become the first world leader to die after testing positive for coronavirus.
Ambrose Dlamini, 52, was elected to lead the southern African kingdom formerly known as Swaziland in 2018.
Mr Dlamini’s death was announced by government officials on Twitter after he revealed he had tested positive for Covid-19 on November 16.
He said at the time he was asymptomatic but feeling well.
But less than a fortnight later he was moved to a hospital in South Africa.
He died ‘while under medical care’, authorities said last night.
A press statement informed the nation of the ‘sad and untimely’ death of Mr Dlamini.
Other world leaders who survived the virus include Boris Johnson, Donald Trump (and his wife Melania), Bolivian president Jeanine Anez, Brazil premier Jair Bolsonaro and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier.
South Africa is experiencing a resurgence of coronavirus with President Cyril Ramaphosa due to address the nation tonight over fears of a fresh wave of the disease.
It has recorded almost 8,000 new infections and 170 deaths in the past 24 hours – bringing the total number of cases to just under 861,000.
Tougher restrictions have been imposed in areas identified as ‘virus hotspots’ including Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal and Gauteng, with a night-time curfew in place and limited hours for the sale of alcohol.
But there are concerns infections will soar dramatically over the Christmas period as people travel to visit their families.
Eswatini has now recorded almost 7,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases as well as 127 deaths.
The tiny landlocked country in southern Africa has a population of around one million people.
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