JOHANNESBURG, Feb 11: South African President Thabo Mbeki’s official car was involved in an accident on Monday, but the head of state was unhurt and went on to work at the ruling party headquarters, his spokesman said.

“The president was not hurt and not affected by the accident at all,” Mbeki’s spokesman Bheki Khumalo said. “He is in good health ... and continuing to discharge his duties as head of state.”

Police said Mbeki was in the car when a back-up vehicle driven by a member of the national protection service collided with the rear of the president’s car as it was leaving the highway from the capital Pretoria on the exit ramp for Johannesburg.

One driver was slightly injured, police Senior Superintendent Selby Bokaba said, following an earlier police report that two people in the presidential motorcade had been hurt.

Transport police Inspector Wayne Minnaar said the exact cause of the accident was not yet known. Part of the N1 highway, a nightmare for rush-hour traffic, was closed off and Mbeki made his way to Johannesburg in another vehicle.

Asked on SABC public radio whether the accident had been caused by one of Mbeki’s security personnel, Khumalo said: “It is important to get to the bottom of this.

The injured driver has been airlifted by helicopter for medical attention, Khumalo said. “His condition is stable. He is fine.”

Mbeki went on to Luthuli House in Johannesburg, where he was “attending a meeting and carrying on with his normal duties,” Khumalo earlier said.

Luthuli House is the base of the ruling African National Congress.—AFP