[imagesource: Twitter / Shadows of Wolf]

South Africans are thoroughly enjoying an awkward moment during a Namibian news broadcast last night, between news anchor Elmarie Kapunda and sports reporter Jessica Kaimu.

The clip shows Kapunda speaking about a boxing match, before turning to Kaimu, who doesn’t hesitate to confront her colleague.

Kaimu was annoyed by her colleague’s off-script performance and interrupted her, only to be reminded that “Jessica, we are live.”

What follows is excruciatingly uncomfortable silence between the two presenters, before the broadcast is cut.

It’s “Jessica we are live” for me…. ?pic.twitter.com/GDqptpG63W

— Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi) June 9, 2021

Naturally, South Africa has lapped up the awkwardness and regurgitated it into hilarious memes, jokes, and spoofs that are making the rounds on social media, reports Channel24.

We have a fair amount of practice when it comes to using laughter to diffuse tension, so this moment was made for us.

SABC News even re-enacted the viral moment in an on-air broadcast, which has now also spread across social media and WhatsApp:

SABC NEWS team ?? #jessicawearelive #Jessica I love it when we laugh man! pic.twitter.com/xejQ2iTPIc

— ??uSphesihle. (@_SphesihleM) June 10, 2021

Jessica furiously defended her working relationship with Kapunda and apologised to her fellow Namibians:

There’s no any beef between us, my colleague forgot the script and I was just trying to correct her but I forgot we were live ???
That’s it

— Guess who (@Jesica__s) June 9, 2021

I didn’t know we were live ??, my sincere apology to the nation ?

— Guess who (@Jesica__s) June 9, 2021

But other Twitter users, many of whom are from South Africa, make light of the situation:

Jessica, we're live…. pic.twitter.com/zdtFQTOwJw

— Rushé (@Rushe_C) June 10, 2021

"Jessica we're live" ?? pic.twitter.com/szcyvn2L3s

— B. ? (@bu__hlee) June 10, 2021

"Jessica we are live" things got tense very quick?? pic.twitter.com/gXTWxEVGtL

— OKSALAYO° (@WalterNova037) June 9, 2021

"Jessica we are live"

Sign language interpreter pic.twitter.com/QwonoUAzdr

— Hood Therapist ???? (@Twin_Son) June 9, 2021

Lady: " We are live"
Jessica : " I thought you said we are alive" pic.twitter.com/5oZHKnfuMP

— Simba (@Dominique_TIP) June 9, 2021

I still think our Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu being hit by load shedding in the middle of an interview on SABC News last night is more embarrassing.

[source:channel24]