Evidently anticipating some sort of reaction to the latest bout of xenophobia that has swept through South Africa – and Gauteng in particular – Ramaphosa appeared to have notes ready.

He was addressing heads of state and dignitaries, and spectators, at the partially full National Sports Stadium in Harare.

When he took to the podium, the crowd started jeering, with the officiator having to take to his own microphone to call for calm. 

Ramaphosa had to deviate from his speech, but did appear to have some prepared words about the violence. 

“I stand before you as a fellow African to express my regret over what has happened in South Africa,” he said. 

“What has happened in South Africa goes against the unity of the African people that president Mugabe, Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, and other liberation heroes of the African continent stood for,” said Ramaphosa, to which the crowd broke into cheers.  

"I stand before you to say we are working very hard to encourage all our South African people to embrace people from all African countries,” he said to extended cheers.

“South Africans aren’t xenophobic, we welcome people from other countries and are going to work hard to encourage and promote social cohesion of all people of South Africa with people of other parts of the continent. This we will do because we want to embrace the spirit of unity that Mugabe worked for. We pay tribute to him and say go well,” said Ramaphosa.  

Mugabe died in a Singapore hospital on Friday last week, where he had been receiving treatment.  He was 95 years old.

His body will be preserved for a private burial at the National Heroes Acre once a new mausoleum has been constructed, which his family members have said would take about a month. The strongman ruled the country for almost four decades before being ousted in 2017. 

ANA