'Occupational hazard' – Watch how Mahama reacted when a SA flight disrupted his speech

President John Dramani Mahama had a brief light-hearted interruption at the Accra International Airport on June 9, 2026, when the noise of a departing aircraft disrupted his address to officials after returning from official trip to Belarus.

While delivering his remarks, the President was momentarily distracted by a loud noise from a departing aircraft, forcing him to pause in the middle of his speech.

With Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang standing by his right-hand side, Mahama briefly turned toward the source of the disturbance as a departing aircraft roared overhead.

On realizing it was a South African carrier, he seized the moment and made a spontaneous joke, saying, "That's an occupational hazard at the airport. Incidentally, it was South African Airways," he remarked, drawing laughter from those gathered at the scene.

Mahama's reference to South African Airways attracted particular attention because it comes at a time when Ghana and South Africa are navigating a diplomatic disagreement linked to recent xenophobic attacks against Ghanaians living in South Africa.

President Mahama embarks on state visit to Belarus

In recent weeks, the Ghanaian government has been engaged in discussions with South Africa following the evacuation of about 1,000 Ghanaian nationals amid renewed incidents of xenophobic violence.

The situation has sparked public exchanges between officials of the two countries, with South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, taking issue with aspects of Ghana's handling of the matter.

Lamola has publicly rejected claims from Ghana regarding the extent of injuries suffered by some affected citizens and criticised what he described as the use of public platforms to address issues that should be handled through diplomatic channels.

The South African minister further urged Ghana to avoid creating what he termed "public spectacles" and instead pursue direct diplomatic engagement.

Against this backdrop, President Mahama's humorous reference to South African Airways during the airport interruption resonated with many observers, who viewed it as an amusing coincidence given the ongoing tensions surrounding the treatment of Ghanaians in South Africa.

“That’s an occupational hazard at the airport. Incidentally, it was South African Airways”

—President John Dramani Mahama, after his address to the press following his arrival from Belarus, was briefly disrupted due to the excessive noise from a South African airways plane.… pic.twitter.com/FVtWseyoRN

— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) June 9, 2026