“I cannot believe that we still have a president,” says Gwede Mantashe to Cyril Ramaphosa

In a video recently shared on social media, a user has highlighted a humorous exchange between President Cyril Ramaphosa and African National Congress Chairperson Gwede Mantashe. The footage, which was recorded during the President’s arrival at a political gathering, allegedly shows Mr Mantashe reacting with feigned astonishment upon seeing the Head of State. According to the social media post, the senior official made a lighthearted comment regarding the continued presence of the President in his official capacity. This interaction has been interpreted by many online observers as a direct, albeit joking, reference to the volatile international political climate and recent high profile events involving foreign leadership.

The social media user who shared the clip suggested that the jest was specifically linked to the recent reported detention of the Venezuelan President by United States authorities. When President Ramaphosa arrived at the venue, Mr Mantashe reportedly expressed his disbelief that South Africa still had a sitting president. This remark was apparently intended to poke fun at the speed and unpredictability of current global political shifts, where leaders in other regions have faced sudden removals or captures. While the setting appeared to be an internal party function, the lighthearted banter between the two senior figures has drawn significant attention for its timing and the gravity of the events it alluded to.

Public figures in South Africa are often noted for using humour to navigate complex or tense geopolitical realities. In this instance, the exchange between the President and the Chairperson served to humanise the leadership while acknowledging the significant news stories dominating the global stage. The report indicates that those present at the function found the remark amusing, as it highlighted the relative stability of the domestic administration in contrast to international reports. By referencing the situation in South America, the joke underscored how closely domestic politicians monitor global developments and their potential implications for sovereign governance.

Although the interaction was clearly informal and intended as a joke, it has sparked a wider conversation on social media about the nature of political stability and international relations. Some commenters have noted that such comments reflect a deep awareness of the risks currently facing heads of state in the modern era. The video has been widely circulated as an example of the camaraderie that exists within the ruling party’s top structures, even during periods of global uncertainty. As of now, neither the Presidency nor the African National Congress has issued a formal statement regarding the lighthearted encounter, as it is viewed as a private moment captured during a public event.