President Cyril Ramaphosa turned a tense parliamentary moment into laughter this week when he quipped about still being “traumatized” by dimmed lights—a playful jab at his infamous 2018 White House meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The exchange unfolded after EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo revived the awkward diplomatic episode during a Q&A session, referencing Trump’s unexplained decision to lower the lights during their discussion—an act widely seen as either a power move or one of Trump’s characteristic quirks.
“Ever since that meeting, I get a bit traumatized whenever someone dims the lights,” Ramaphosa deadpanned, drawing chuckles from MPs. The remark showcased his dry wit while subtly acknowledging the surreal nature of global diplomacy under Trump’s unorthodox administration.
Though delivered lightly, the comment carried deeper resonance. The original incident—where Ramaphosa appeared on global TV squinting in a suddenly darkened Oval Office—became symbolic of the challenges African leaders face navigating Western power dynamics. Thambo’s decision to resurrect it underscored how opposition parties weaponize even ceremonial moments to critique presidential stature.
Political analyst Rebecca Davis noted: “This was classic Ramaphosa—disarming tension with humor, but the subtext is serious. That Trump meeting lives rent-free in our political memory as a metaphor for asymmetrical international relations.”
The moment offered rare levity in Parliament’s adversarial arena while reminding South Africans that, nearly six years later, the glow (or lack thereof) of that strange White House encounter still lingers.