LISTEN: Ramaphosa’s ‘shut up’ turns into an anthem

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s outburst at member of parliament (MP) John Steenhuisen during the quarterly appearance at the National Assembly yesterday seems to have caught the attention of musicians.

Ramaphosa was attempting to respond to a question posed by DA leader Mmusi Maimane, but appeared frustrated with Steenhuisen.

Explaining he wanted Steenhuisen to “shut up and listen”, the president later withdrew his rash outburst, justifying it as “un-calm”. He told Steenhuisen he was attempting to respond to Maimane’s questions on a serious matter, such as “the lives of poor people”.

Ramaphosa said the comments made by Steenhuisen, such as “you’re talking nonsense”, led to his harsh response.

Retracting his outburst, Ramaphosa said he should have been calmer in asking Steenhuisen to “please, be quiet”.

Steenhuisen responded by saying the president needed to toughen up, as this was not the MTN board or the national executive committee. “This is parliament, and the president needs to toughen up,” said Steenhuisen.

The president’s outburst was well-received by disc jockeys, who ran to the decks to mix tracks with the now infamous “shut up” phrase.