President Cyril Ramaphosa was left amused and slightly puzzled when a young learner boldly addressed him by his well-known nickname, “cupcake,” during a recent event in Cape Town.
The lighthearted moment happened at the 7th Social Justice Summit held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, where the president was delivering the keynote address.
As he was being introduced, the student cheerfully said, “It’s an honour to be here. It’s my first time seeing the president. Hello, Cupcake!”
The comment drew laughter from the audience and even the president himself, who later posed for pictures with the learners.
Addressing the incident during his speech, Ramaphosa playfully admitted that he had no idea what the nickname meant.
“The young people who stood up here, one of them said something that I’m often called,” he said.
“I never respond to it because I don’t know what it means. I know I will have a response to them when they say it, I’ll say ‘eat cake.’”
However, South Africans online were quick to remind others where the nickname originated.
The term “cupcake” was linked to Ramaphosa back in 2017, following leaked emails that allegedly revealed romantic messages between him and several women.
In one of those messages, he reportedly used the word “cupcake” as a pet name.
At the time, Ramaphosa acknowledged having had an affair with a woman from Limpopo, saying, “I had a relationship with only one person, and it ended. I dealt with it with my wife. We now have a professional relationship.”