Gareth Cliff Weighs In on Viral Video of Papa Penny in Parliament Sparking Heated Online Debate

• A video of MK Party member and veteran musician Papa Penny struggling to articulate himself during a parliamentary session went viral online
• Veteran broadcaster Gareth Cliff reacted to the viral video with a single sarcastic comment
• Cliff's reaction triggered a heated debate about language and representation, while others mocked Papa Penny

Veteran TV and radio personality Gareth Cliff has reacted to a viral video of MK Party member Papa Penny in parliament.

Papa Penny became the butt of social media jokes following the dismissal of Floyd Shivambu from his position as MK Party Secretary General. Shivambu was reassigned to represent MK in the National Assembly.

Gareth Cliff reacts to Papa Penny in Parliament

Around the time of Shivambu’s redeployment, a video of Papa Penny questioning South African Football Association (Safa) CFO Gronie Hluyo was widely shared on social media.

X user @_mashesha shared the video on Thursday, 4 June 2025. In the video, veteran singer turned MK Party politician, Papa Penny, a member of the sport, arts and culture portfolio committee, failed to follow proper etiquette. He had to be reminded that he could not speak without being recognised by the chair. When he was finally given the floor, the Milandu Bhe hitmaker was barely audible as he could not pronounce some English words.

Watch the video below:

The video sparked a flurry of reactions from South Africans. Gareth Cliff, who has previously weighed in on pressing South African issues, also weighed in on the video. The former 702 Breakfast Show host was at a loss for words as he reacted:

“Wow 🙄”

Gareth Cliff's reaction to Papa Penny's video sparks heated debate

In the comments underneath Gareth Cliff’s post, several netizens mocked Papa Penny, while others defended the MK Party politician. A few criticised the broader system and suggested that language requirements in Parliament disadvantage African languages and their speakers.

Here are some of the reactions:

@august_mat48086 argued:

“The issue is that he couldn't read a foreign language. Last time I checked, English is from England, not from Giyane. We need to allow people to express themselves in their own language.”

@major_warden1 asked:

“What if they asked to speak any African language, wouldn't you sound the same?”

@ThebeKeameditse said:

“Papa Penny must just use his language, and Parly must provide a translator. There’s nothing wrong with using your mother tongue, it is one of the official languages. This is just pure embarrassment.”

@johannesvdploeg suggested:

“The minimum voting requirement should be a matric and a taxpayer.”

@GodisBlck argued:

“Wow, what? The man can't read or speak English. And you say, 'Wow'? 😳 There are millions like him, and we should not laugh at them. What we can do is advise them to speak in their own language. He's trying, we should clap for him and try to make sense of what he said there. Can you speak Tsonga?”

@JanineSwart82 said:

“He looks confident, but I couldn't finish listening to his actual question. Had to pick my mouth up from the floor, yikes.”

Gareth Cliff reacts to Ramaphosa and Trump meeting

Meanwhile, Briefly News reported that Gareth Cliff shared his thoughts on President Cyril Ramaphosa's meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

The former Idols SA judge didn't want to be left behind and shared a short reaction on the heated argument that happened between the two presidents.

In the comments, several netizens agreed with Cliff's sentiments regarding the meeting between the two presidents.

Source: Briefly News