‘We continue with kind regards, when is the holiday?’: SA thirsty for time out after Boks’ win

The spotlight is on President Cyril Ramaphosa as many eagerly wait for him to announce a public holiday after the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup on Saturday. 

Ramaphosa, speaking at the South African Green Hydrogen Summit in Cape Town last week, said he would consider declaring a public holiday if the Springboks won the World Cup.

“South Africans are revelling in this incredible success our boys have achieved in Paris. Many felt we should declare Monday [today] a public holiday and I declined. I said we will consider that when we win the final, at which I will be present,” he said at the time.

The Boks did their part by defending their championship in the nail-biting 12-11 win against New Zealand on Saturday. The attention has now shifted to Ramaphosa. 

The president made no mention of the holiday in his weekly newsletter. Many are hopeful he will announce it in his address to the nation on Monday evening. 

The president may, however, be in a tight spot, with talks about a public holiday taking place as matriculants start their end-of-year examinations.  

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya on Sunday urged the public to wait for Ramaphosa to give clarity on the matter during his address to the nation. 

“[Monday] is day one of matric exams and a public holiday will be very disruptive to their exam schedule. Please ignore fake announcements, go to work tomorrow, work hard like a true world champion, and wait for the president's address in the evening,” Magwenya said.

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