Trend report: Not sonar but SONA, Nkaaaaaandla, #PinkDay and pancakes

President Jacob Zuma delivered his State of the Nation address in Cape Town on Thursday night. As expected, the evening was rather rowdy. Politicians walked out, laughed and clapped all in the glare of the news media, who take these things oh so seriously.

Thankfully, the public (and Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula) were on form, producing memes mocking COPE’s negligible walk-out, the EFF delivering the zinger of the evening regarding Zuma’s relationship with the Gupta family, and Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory fame mimicking the opposition’s pestering of speaker Baleka Mbete.

Just another day at Parliament then. 

As if the president didn’t light up social media enough this week, Nkaaaaandla finally completed its legal odyssey in the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg this past Tuesday. The much vaunted legal showdown turned into a stomping for those who said Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s report was the beezneez from day one, while Zuma threw some of his allies under the bus in conceding this point from out the gate. 

This includes the Minister of Police, Nathi Nhleko. And this after going through with that ridiculous firepool demonstration in defence of Zuma last year. We wonder if he still feels so strongly about defending Comrade Zuma.

What was all the fuss for then? Well, at least, it gave social media fodder for producing fake FNB payment SMSs, children covering their ears as lawyers faulted, and a police minister drawing graphs on a whiteboard. 

Sometimes the trending world spits out odd topics and #GreetTheAlienIn5Words was one of them. Cue sarcasm, random photos and some rather amusing opening lines (interspersed with sombre stuff).

These included “Sorry, we can’t explain Kanye”, “Did you bring some weed?”, “Watch out for Twitter people” (Oh, the irony), “Sorry the place’s a mess”, “Hey, get off my lawn!” and the popular “Please take Trump with you”.

Wearing pink for a good cause

Friday marks the fourth one-day international cricket match between South Africa and England, with the English leading the series 2-1. The match is being played at the Wanderers and beyond just the cricket being played, it marks the annual event that has become known as #PinkDay.

First begun in Australia, everyone attending the match, as well as the Protea players, wear pink to raise money for breast cancer screening and public awareness of a disease that claims the lives of thousands of women every year. 

South Africa has never lost in pink, and with the Wanderers usually a sell-out (or close to it), corporates and sponsors get on the bandwagon putting their money where their mouth is. Companies and sports may be companies and sports, but sometimes they do some real good, so congrats to all parties involved. 

That's where the harmony should end though. We hope South Africa smash the Poms!

Tuesday also marked #PancakeDay. Purportedly also known as Shrove Tuesday in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and Canada, people traditionally eat pancakes on the day.

Social media was beset by people of all colours and sizes flipping pancakes and watching them hit the floor or flipping pancakes and high fiving their friends because they got it in the pan. And of course eating them.

It all sounds flipping scrumptious doesn’t it? If you're hungry, we suggest you don't search for #PancakeDay though. Click here if you want to live dangerously and salivate. Or here if you want to see a cute bunny with a pancake on its head while a cruel cat watches on.

That’s it for this week. Travel safe, and don’t look directly into the sun.