Johannesburg - It may have happened 12 years ago, but former president Thabo Mbeki’s gesture of gallantry is back on social media.
A photo taken by Enver Essop has surfaced on Facebook and made waves.
The picture was taken in 2002 and shows Mbeki holding a chair and carrying it off a stage.
On his Facebook page, Essop has captioned the picture and explains what was happening on that day 12 years ago.
“Our ex-president Thabo Mbeki hosted a media event at Table View hotel in the Waterfront (in Cape Town). Everyone was seated, and there was only one woman standing.
“President Mbeki asked her why she was the only woman standing when everyone was either seated or sitting on the floor.
“She replied that all the seats had been taken.
“And then, what happened next will live with me till the day I die as it’s the first time ever I see a president take his own chair and personally carry it to the woman, who was shocked.
“But I was very fortunate to capture it, as it was so unexpected.”
Essop has been receiving a number of friend requests and congratulatory remarks from people since the photo was posted.
He referred to the photo as an “iconic moment” he would never forget.
Many comments on his page were complimentary to the former president, with many calling him a true gentleman who did a noble deed.
The picture was shared more than 800 times on Facebook, with people using the hashtags “humble”, “leadership”, “president” and “wow”.
Many people compared him to the current president, saying they doubted he would have done the same for the woman.
The Star