Well, how’s this for presidential behaviour? Three months after telling John Steenhuisen to shut up in Parliament, Cyril Ramaphosa has atoned for his transgression.

Parliament returned after a three-month absence when the president faced a Q and A session in the National Assembly. After a long few hours discussing land, fuel levies and economic stimulus plans, Ramaphosa clearly had something else weighing heavy on his mind.

The session concluded with the ANC chief handing over a cigar to the DA’s chief whip, praising him for his “good behaviour” during the afternoon debate.

Ramaphosa vs Steenhuisen

Frustrated that he was being interrupted back in May, Ramaphosa stopped mid-sentence to tell Steenhuisen it was time to “shut up”. It got a raucous reception, but the DA representative wasn’t too happy.

Steenhuisen collected his gift in high spirits on Wednesday however, quickly moving to the podium and graciously accepting the peace offering. There were handshakes, smiles and laughter all around the house. Because when the ol’ Cyril charm comes into force, it’s usually impossible to resist isn’t it?

Why did Cyril Ramaphosa give John Steenhuisen a cigar?

This all stems back from comments John Steenhuisen made during Cyril’s swearing-in ceremony six months ago. Shortly after he became president, Johnny boy ushered him in with some top-drawer banter.

He offered a cigar to Ramaphosa, as a congratulatory memento for ousting Jacob Zuma. However, Steenhuisen just couldn’t resist one more jibe – he also offered the new leader a matchbox, so he could “pack his credibility” in there, too.

We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again. South African politics is the greatest soapie in existence.

Watch Steenhuisen get his long-awaited cigar from Ramaphosa here: