Gareth Cliff Reacts to Ramaphosa’s Explanation on Hangwani Maumela, SA Responds: “We Agree With You”

Gareth Cliff Reacts to Ramaphosa’s Explanation on Hangwani Maumela, SA Responds: “We Agree With You”

  • Gareth Cliff weighed in on a video of President Cyril Ramaphosa clarifying his relationship with Hangwani Maumela
  • Maumela is accused of leading one of the syndicates that looted R2 billion from Tembisa Hospital
  • Some social media users sided with Gareth Cliff, while others defended President Ramaphosa
Gareth Cliff reacts to Ramaphosa's explanation about Hangwani Maumela
Gareth Cliff responded after Cyril Ramaphosa clarified his relationship with Hangwani Maumela. Image: Leon Neal/Getty Images, grcliff/Instagram
Source: UGC

Seasoned broadcaster Gareth Cliff reacted to a video of President Cyril Ramaphosa clarifying his relationship with Hangwani Maumela, who was identified as the alleged leader of one of the syndicates that looted R2 billion from Tembisa Hospital.

Speaking during a National Council of Provinces (NCOP) sitting on Tuesday, 14 October 2025, Cyril Ramaphosa discussed his relationship with Hangwani Maumela. Their relationship came under the microscope after an old video of Ramaphosa outside Maumela’s house was reshared on X (Twitter) from broadcaster Tbo Touch’s Instagram account.

After Ramaphosa responded to Democratic Alliance President John Steenhuisen's questions and clarified the video, South Africans took to social media to voice their opinions. Gareth Cliff joined the conversation with his take, sparking a heated discussion.

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Gareth Cliff responds to Ramaphosa's Maumela explanation

Reacting to a clip of Ramaphosa clarifying the nature of his relationship with Hangwani Maumela, shared by eNCA, Gareth Cliff dismissed the President’s explanation in four words. The post was captioned:

“We Don’t Believe You.”

See the post below:

SA responds to Gareth Cliff's reaction

South Africans filled the comments with a mix of reactions. While some agreed with Gareth Cliff, some defended President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Here are some of the comments:

@RiebvJanbeeck claimed:

“He always giggles and plays cute when he is in trouble.”

@GatiepAdonis said:

“His personal security is useless. How can you let a random car pull up on your president and run to him to take a picture? How can you let a random person open a gate and invite the president into his house casually? Don't talk nonsense.”

@nokie555 argued:

“You expect way too much from the president. Surely, you're an uncle somewhere, where there are kids of your cousins you can’t even remember the names of. Yet you expect the president to remember a nephew of an ex-wife from two marriages ago? Be real.”

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@MrjazzW shared:

“In the past, I probably would have asked for a picture with Cyril if I had met him in the streets. But if it happens now, I would walk right past him and not greet him at all. There is too much disrespect governing a corrupt party, and still wanting acknowledgement is not it.”

@AlexThizwi remarked:

“It's up to you to believe or not to believe.”

@ubheka_m claimed:

“This is literally the first time I can actually say I agree with you.”
Gareth Cliff responds to Ramaphosa's explanation about Hangwani Maumela
Gareth Cliff's reaction to Cyril Ramaphosa's explanation about Hangwani Maumela sparked a heated discussion. Image: Chris Jackson/Getty Images, grcliff/Instagram
Source: UGC

Gareth Cliff weighs in on tenderpreneurs

Meanwhile, Briefly News reported that Gareth Cliff weighed in on tenderpreneurs with a brutal nickname.

This was after the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) raided Hangwani Maumela’s Sandton home on 9 October 2025 as part of an operation to recover looted funds. South African social media users shared their opinion on Gareth Cliff's nickname for tenderpreneurs.

Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tayananiswa Zvikaramba avatar

Tayananiswa Zvikaramba (Editor) Tayananiswa Zvikaramba is an entertainment writer at Briefly News. He previously worked as a profiler, sports, human interest, entertainment, and current affairs writer at Pindula (2016-2022) and iHarare (2022-2025). He holds a BA Honours in Archaeology from the University of Zimbabwe (2010-2013), YOAST SEO for Beginners (2023), YOAST Block Editor Training (2023), and YOAST Structured Data for Beginners (2023). Email: tayananiswa.zvikaramba@briefly.co.za