Let's hope Ramaphosa can do for walking what he did for condoms: minister

Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi says he hopes President Cyril Ramaphosa will do for walking what he did for condoms.

After two days of getting attention walking on the Sea Point promenade in Cape Town‚ the Western Cape ANC invited members of the public to join Ramaphosa for a walk from Gugulethu township to Athlone. On his scheduled walk on Tuesday morning‚ accompanied by media‚ Ramaphosa avoided political talk and stuck to exercise.

He joked that his "tummy must fall"‚ perhaps creating his first Twitter hashtag as president. Motsoaledi said: "We like him a lot. People pay a lot of attention to him. He brought having to walk to life." Motsoaledi said he used to walk with former deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe at 5am near parliament but the pair didn't attract the crowds that Ramaphosa does.

"I have already said I am going to join him on his walks‚" he said. The minister noted that people pay a lot of attention to Ramaphosa. The health department was not getting much publicity for its grape and banana-flavoured condoms until Ramaphosa introduced them to parliament in September 2016‚ he said.

"We couldn't get it off the ground‚ then he brought condoms to the assembly and everyone was now talking about this."

Ramaphosa explained to politicians the health department was trying to prevent HIV.

"The Max condom is for maximum pleasure‚ maximum protection ... and it doesn't make a noise at all ... If you want a grape flavour‚ you can get a grape flavour." Motsoaledi reminded the nation that exercise is good for people with lifestyle diseases like diabetes‚ high blood pressure‚ heart disease and cancer and for infectious diseases.

"It has benefits for communicable diseases like HIV and TB. When people exercise‚ they develop a stronger immune system."