Licking a cupcake with Cyril

Life is but a cupcake, President Cyril Ramaphosa told me. There’s always time for a lick and a bite – especially if you’re stressed and have to open parliament…

“Let me show you how it’s done,” he tells me while I’m sitting on the stoep of a bar in Sea Point.

“You tell your driver to stop quickly at the Woolies opposite your bar and pop in yourself, because only you will know to pick the chocolate ones.”

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Which is exactly what happened: our president rocks up at the store across the road in one of two black SUVs – note, two.

Not the seven I’ve seen former president Jacob Zuma leave Tuynhuys with my own eyes years ago, stopping all traffic so you know: A Man just passed. Not our Cyril.

He travels with one extra detail. And the only reason I knew my president was a stone’s throw from me an hour before parliament’s red carpet is because the bergies and street security went wild – as did the pub.

They rose as one as if the Boks were playing, chanting “Cupcake! Cupcake!” He disappears into the store for what feels like a lifetime but 10 minutes later he walks out with his little packet, waving at us cupcakes.

So you think you know why he’s called cupcake – like I did? A video in May captures a light-hearted exchange between the president and a student.

Ramaphosa is seen walking by, and the student whispers: “Cupcake.” To everyone’s surprise, Cyril leans in and softly responds with a simple, “Hello.”

That moment has been reshared on multiple social media platforms, garnering thousands of likes and comments – and then Cyril embraces his “Cupcake” nickname in a cute video, taking TikTok by storm.

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But I now have the inside info: that student, like me, knows Cyril is hooked on cupcakes. I know because I rushed over to ask Woolies what Our Man bought.

The answer was simply: a juice and… cupcakes. It’s the simple things in life that count, Cyril says.

Millions stuffed in a sofa you know nothing about? Take a lick at the icing.

GodZille shaking her tail at you? That warrants a bite.

Because sometimes you just have to have time out. Sometimes you just have to live life licking out the bowl your mom mixed the decadent chocolate icing in.

Sometimes you just have to taste life, simply…