A picture of a buffalo drowning in a pool of mud, a dance to TKZee's hit song Ho lla phalafala and a video of a hyena mauling a buffalo.

This is how some South Africans are using social media and analogy to find the funny side of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala scandal misery. Phalafala (Sotho) and phalaphala (Venda) both refer to the sable antelope, a large antelope found in the savanna from east to southern Africa.

The political future of Ramaphosa, also known by the moniker The Buffalo in political circles, hangs in the balance following the release of the independent panel report found that he may have a case to answer on the origins of the foreign currency stolen from his farm in February 2020.

Social media has been flooded with pictures, videos and memes poking fun at the embattled president.

On Twitter, users shared a video of a hyena attacking a buffalo in what can be interpreted as an analogy of how former correctional services commissioner Arthur Fraser set off the Phala Phala scandal when he laid charges against Ramaphosa in Rosebank. 

The clip was captioned꞉ ''Arthur Fraser dealing with the buffalo decisively.’’

On Facebook, a photo-shopped picture of a police officer heavily armed and clad in bullet proof vests pulling Ramaphosa by the trousers has been widely shared as a metaphor of a president in trouble with the law.

On TikTok, a video with photo-shopped images of Ramaphosa sleeping on a mattress with countless US dollar notes hidden underneath the bed, while former president Jacob Zuma sings Yinde lendlela [it's going to be a long road…] is used to represent Zuma mocking Ramaphosa. 

kokam@sowetan.co.za