Ramaphosa Jokes About Ronald Lamola's Skin Tone During Sasol Secunda Visit
- President Cyril Ramaphosa made a light-hearted joke about Minister Ronald Lamola's complexion during a facility tour in Mpumalanga
- The banter started when Sasol Mining senior vice-president Veli Sibiya joked about his own dark skin during a presentation to the delegation
- Ramaphosa visited Sasol's Secunda Operations alongside Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu and was hosted by Sasol CEO Simon Baloyi
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MPUMALANGA — President Cyril Ramaphosa drew laughter from those around him after making a playful remark about International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola's complexion during an official visit to Sasol's Secunda Operations on Thursday.
According to Sunday World, the moment arose during an introduction to the facility by Sasol Mining senior vice-president Veli Sibiya. Sasol describes the complex as processing 32 million tonnes of coal annually. As Sibiya outlined the scale of the operation, Ramaphosa noticed he was wearing dark sunglasses and jokingly suggested the eyewear might be protection against coal dust. Sibiya played along, attributing his own dark skin tone to working around the coal-heavy environment.
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Ramaphosa, who recently chatted with young people in Cape Town, then extended the joke to include Lamola, quipping that standing beside the minister makes him feel like a "mlungu" — a colloquial term for a white person. The remark was met with laughter before the delegation moved on to board a bus for a tour of the broader facility.
Secunda operations tour
The presidency noted that 35 million tonnes of coal are beneficiated locally at Secunda each year, contributing to both fuel and chemical production. The delegation inspected operations spread across the 13- to 15-square-kilometre complex. Ramaphosa was accompanied by Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu for the visit. Sasol CEO Simon Baloyi and board chairperson Muriel Dube hosted the presidential delegation at the site.
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Student discusses employment with Ramaphosa
In a related article, Briefly News reported on an electrical engineering student's candid conversation with President Cyril Ramaphosa during his door-to-door campaign visit in Mpumalanga on 3 August 2026. The young voter emphasized the challenging job market in South Africa, pointing out that personal connections often take precedence over qualifications.
Source: Briefly News
