The Prime Minister of Eswatini, Ambrose Dlamini, died at the age of 52 in a South African hospital on Sunday, December 13, the government said in a statement.

"Their Majesties have commanded that I inform the nation of the sad and untimely passing away of His Excellency the Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini,” Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku said in a statement.

The prime minister "passed on this afternoon while under medical care in a hospital in South Africa,” he added, without detailing the cause of his death.

Dlamini had announced in mid-November that he had tested positive for the Covid-19 but said that he felt well and was asymptomatic.

He was moved to South Africa on December 1, to "guide and fast track his recovery,” from Covid-19. At that time, Masuku said Dlamini was stable and responding well to treatment.

Dlamini was appointed Prime Minister in November 2018, following his position as the chief executive officer of telecoms company MTN Eswatini.

He had worked in the banking industry for more than 18 years, including as the managing director of Eswatini Nedbank Limited.

Formerly known as Swaziland, the Kingdom of Eswatini, Africa’s last absolute monarchy, has so far reported over 6,700 Covid-19 cases and 127 deaths among its population of 1.2 million people.