I couldn’t stop channel hopping when I realised that shortly after his response to the state of the nation debate that President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday afternoon finally sat down with members of the fourth estate in a question-and-answer session.
My mind raced back to an epoch when one Donald Trump, then president of the US where his media engagements mostly denigrated into chaotic circus, with either him or his numerous press secretaries from Sean Spicer, Sarah Sanders to Kayleigh McEnany engaging in a hostile public spat with the media, calling some names such as a fake news factory, referring to CNN and its journalists.
It has been a long time since the president in his capacity as head of state engaged the media, more so in an unscripted marathon session with no media statement but for the media to ask him any question of national interest.
Such engagements are but an indication that the president has his finger on the pulse and that he listens to his coterie of advisers. With minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele laying the foundation and calling on acting presidential spokesperson Tyrone Seale to preside over the session, it was refreshing watching the president engage the media in a most relaxed fashion.
There were moments of laughter especially when the president had to answer a question as to what keeps him awake at night, even though he responded that the state of the economy and high unemployment queue is keeping him awake at night.
One thing that came out of this session is that the presidency should organise more such engagements where journalists ask questions on behalf of the public unlike the so-called “family meetings” where the president would address the nation on the developments of the National Disaster Management Act, specifically on Covid-19.
Personally, I like live press briefings and conferences, but the question-and-answer session, shortly known as Q&A’s, helps the president respond to questions unscripted and without any assistance from members of his cabinet or advisers.
Also such expose some vocal and vociferous journalists on social media who when given such a platform either tone down their questions or, worse, dip their heads in the sand.
As a handful of journalists asked pointed and difficult questions, the president was cool, calm and collected in engaging journalists, mostly members of the Parliamentary Gallery Association (PGA).
Although the session started with some sweetheart questions, as soon as Seale announced that the president was about to depart and attend the African Union-European Union Summit in Brussels, Belgium, a flurry of pointed questions began. Questions ranging from the president consulting too much, taking too long to act and being regarded as “weak” including security concerns around him, his response to Scopa about the leaked audio about the ANC using state funds, not intervening in the spat between police minister Bheki Cele and national police commissioner Kehla Sitole.
Such questions, although in the public domain, rattled the president a bit and changed the mood of the session, but he remained calm and disarmed journalists in his polite response. I hope the presidential media and communication team arrange a session with various editors, analysts and columnists in such a relaxed environment to ask the president burning questions that they often opine about in columns.
In the final analysis, it must have been a welcome gesture when Gungubele, in closing, announced the president had agreed to hold regular engagements with members of the media. It is advisable that elected representatives such as ministers, premiers, mayors, MECs and MMCs engage with the media and not run away because government work is not a secret.
• Sepotokele is a journalist, communication strategist, media trainer and lecturer
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