It has been a year since the COVID-19 pandemic first started to make its way around the globe. During those 12 months, there has been a lot of hardship and loss for people all around the world. There was, however, also a few heartwarming, inspiring, and even crazy stories that made the rounds during that time.

We have gathered some of the more light-hearted stories that took place throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to hopefully put a smile on your face.

1- President Cyril Ramaphosa battles with his face mask

Ramaphosa adds some comic relief to lockdown

In April 2020, just one month after South Africa entered lockdown, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation during a ‘family meeting’. As Ramaphosa reached the end of his speech, he reached for his mask to put it on, but apparently, that was easier said than done. In some much needed comic relief, during a particularly hard time for the nation, President Ramaphosa provided us all with some entertainment.

2- There’s a T-Rex in Pick n Pay

T-Rex goes shopping during lockdown in Cape Town

It’s not every day that you see a T-Rex roaming around your local Pick n Pay, but this is exactly what happened in May 2020. A person wearing an inflatable T-Rex costume was seen at a local grocery store during their week’s shopping while also bringing a smile to many faces and adding a touch of entertainment to an otherwise mundane visit to the store.

3- Police got bamboozled by a scarecrow 

Scarecrow fisherman tricks police during lockdown

Scarecrows are best suited for farm life, where they are able to full their purpose of protecting crops. However, in May 2020, a scarecrow was spotted enjoying a lovely day out at the beach in Cabourg, and keep in mind this was during a time where beaches were essentially closed due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Police approached the scraecrow, which they assumed was just a resident showing disregard for the lockdown regulations. From a distance, he appeared to have been fishing for some time and was standing just outside of the water’s reach, with a container at hand for his catch. Once the police were in close proximity, however, they realised they had been fooled in an elaborate prank.

4- Sailing to Robben Island for the sake of it

Father and son build raft during lockdown, paddle to Robben Island

The nationwide lockdown left many Capetonians with a lot of free time on their hands, including a father and son duo who decided to use their spare time to build a raft and sail to Robben Island. Best of all, the duo posted the process of building and sailing their raft to YouTube for everyone to view. Overall the trip took them three hours to reach Robben Island but they were out on the water for five, enjoying the view.

5- The first Great White Shark was spotted in Gansbaai since lockdown began

First Great White Shark spotted in Gansbaai since lockdown

During the nationwide lockdown, Mother Nature took advantage of the lack of human activity, as animals around the world started to move closer and closer into areas often populated by humans, this includes sea life. In November 2o20, shark cage diving and conservation research company Marine Dynamics spotted their first Great White shark off the coast of Gansbaai since lockdown was lifted. This sighting was very exciting with the 4.5m female shark coming close to the cage, giving those lucky enough to be inside the cage a great thrill.

Great White Sharks have been pretty elusive for the last few years, with many all but disappearing for a while from the Cape’s bays before slowly returning.

Picture: Facebook

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