Despite many ANC officials sweating over their job uncertainty after the party lost its majority, Cyril Ramaphosa has managed to crack a few jokes. Some are aimed at his predecessor, Jacob Zuma, the leader of the newly established MK Party.
The president was addressing the public of the final election results at the National Results Operational Centre in Mirand, on Sunday, 2 June.
In his address, Ramaphosa stated that the elections had been “free and fair.” This comes amid Zuma’s warning to the Independent Election Commission (IEC) to rerun the polls amid allegations that voting had been rigged.
The 82-year-old was president from 2009 to 2018 when he resigned from office.
BATTLE OF THE PRESIDENTS: RAMAPHOSA MOCKS ZUMA?
In a clip that has gone viral on social media, Cyril Ramaphosa seemingly poked fun at Jacob Zuma’s viral number fumble in 2015.
The president was discussing ANC’s job creation and its contribution to South Africa’s GDP.
“A hundred and sixty thousand billion…sixty billion. Hundred and sixty billion”, he stuttered before bursting out into laughter.
After giggling, he added: “Now I realise this numbers game can tie your tongue. I remember others who have had trouble”.
Ramaphosa was referring to Zuma’s “listen properly” 2015 viral video, where he fumbled the figures of ANC’s membership numbers.
Mocking Zuma over his mathematics wasn’t the only thing Ramaphosa joked about.
During his speech, he poked fun at the Electoral Commission’s chairperson Mosotho Moepya’s choice of words.
He said: “Instead of saying distinguished, you said extinguished. I’m not yet extinguished.
“You also mentioned love. Many of us want love tonight”.
‘RECLAIM OUR ANC’
Meanwhile, Jacob Zuma claims that while he has formed his own political party – the MK Party – he still hopes to rejoin the ANC, of which he is still a member.
Speaking outside the Johannesburg High Court on Monday, 3 June, where the MK Party’s expelled leader, Jabulani Khumalo, challenged his dismissal, Zuma said: “Once we are in power, we will reclaim our ANC, we will not abandon it because the ANC, which has been misdirected, is not a party of criminals but is the ANC that was built by our forefathers.”
Zuma resigned as president in February 2018 following the ANC’s call for him to step down from office.
He said in his parting speech: “Thank you….We will meet somewhere
