“I Sent the Poem to the Presidency”: SONA Poet Explains Ramaphosa’s Stance on Calling Him Cupcake

• During her praise poem for President Cyril Ramaphosa at this year's State of the Nation Address, Inako Mateza called the leader, "my Cupcake"
• The name Cupcake has been used by many South African citizens when referring to the president
• Inako shared on one of her social media accounts how the Presidency reacted when she shared she would use the name in her poem

This year's State of the Nation Address (SONA) had many key takeaways, some controversial and others pleasing. However, one unexpected highlight was the praise poet referring to the President as Cupcake, which amused many South Africans.

Cyril Ramaphosa's reaction to Cupcake

For years, the name Cupcake has been used by South Africans as a way to refer to Cyril Ramaphosa.

In her powerful narration of the President's clan and family lineage, 19-year-old Inako Mateza shared on her Instagram account the stance the ANC leader took when she used the same name for him in her poem, which was performed at Cape Town's City Hall.

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SONA 2025 fashion: Cyril Ramaphosa's poet, 19, shows full traditional outfit

Pictures of her traditional attire worn at SONA were accompanied by the following explanation about the name:

"About 'my Cupcake': I sent the poem to the Presidency with every word that I said there, and they accepted it. I did rehearsals yesterday. I was never told to change anything."

Take a look at Inako's explanation in the Instagram post below:

More about Inako Mateza

According to the Parliament of South Africa, Inako, who hails from Willowvale in the Eastern Cape, has won many awards, including Best Eastern Cape Poet in 2019, Best Student Leader Award from the Xhosa Great Place, and the Hustler of the Year award at the Eastern Cape Hustlers' Awards in 2023.

The young praise singer founded the INAKO FOUNDATION, which aims to preserve cultural heritage and educate individuals about their cultures and traditions.

Besides sharing her poems with the world, Inako is also a student at the Durban University of Technology where she studies homoeopathy.

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SONA 2025 fashion: Nomvula Mokonyane's figure-hugging outfit wows Mzansi

3 Other Briefly News stories about SONA 2025

• South Africa's Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane wore a figure-hugging dress to the political event that had her receiving compliments online.
• Musician-turned-politician Papa Penny shone at SONA with his royal blue suit and gold designer shoes on the red carpet.
• While the DA was impressed with some aspects of the President's speech, the EFF and MK Party made it known that they were not pleased.

Source: Briefly News