This archive report was first published on 24 June 2021.
On June 22, 2021, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa brought some much-needed comic relief to a live television event in Cape Town.
During a keynote speech at an event marking the establishment of the National Ports Authority as an independent subsidiary of Transnet, President Ramaphosa appeared to be in a bit of a pickle.
As he approached the podium, he suddenly realized that he had misplaced his iPad, which contained his speech. In a humorous exchange, he asked the audience, 'I'm looking for my iPad. Somebody stole my iPad, somebody decided that they want to dispossess me of my iPad. Can I have my iPad, please.'
President Ramaphosa then turned to his spokesperson, Tyrone Seale, and asked, 'Do you know where they took my iPad to? This is the problem of always handing out your gadgets to other people. It's always best that I should keep all these things with me all the time.'
However, it was later revealed that the President's device was not stolen, but rather, he was simply making a light-hearted point while waiting for the iPad to be brought to him.
As the event continued, President Ramaphosa eventually received his iPad and delivered his speech, bringing an end to the humorous exchange.
