Year In Review: Nothing like a good quote to put 2016 into perspective
Problem with 2016 - which ones to choose...
31 March 2016
"The president thus failed to uphold, defend and respect the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. This failure is manifest from the substantial disregard for the remedial action taken against him by the public protector in terms of her constitutional powers." - Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng found in the Constitutional Court that President Jacob Zuma and the National Assembly had violated the Constitution by setting aside the public protector's suggestions for remedial action.
1 April 2016
"With hindsight, there are many matters that could have been handled differently and which should never have been allowed to drag on this long, which we deeply regret.
"The matter has caused a lot of frustration and confusion for which I apologise on my behalf and on behalf of government." - President Jacob Zuma apologised to the nation after the Constitutional Court found that his failure to comply with the Public Protector's remedial action in her report on spending on his Nkandla, was a breach of the Constitution.
6 June 2016
"I don't believe in scientific research" - Hlaudi Motsoeneng speaking to Jacaranda FM's The Complimentary Breakfast. He defended his policy of not broadcasting any violent protests, saying he doesn't need scientific research to make operational decisions at the public broadcaster.
23 June 2016
"The UK has voted to leave the EU by 52% to 48%. Leave won the majority of votes in England and Wales, while every council in Scotland saw Remain majorities" - The shock Brexit announcement that also led to the resignation of UK Prime Minister David Cameron: "I will do everything I can as Prime Minister to steady the ship over the coming weeks and months but I do not think it would be right for me to try to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination."
6 July 2016
"Mr Pistorius please rise."
"In the result, the sentence I impose on the accused in terms of murder dolus eventualis, is six years imprisonment." - Judge Thokozile Masipa sentencing Oscar Pistorius in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. He was convicted of shooting and killing Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.
6 August 2016
"It is my privilege to declare the 2016 Local Government Elections free and fair"
"We have sent a message to our own people and the world that we are a maturing democracy" - Independent Electoral Commission Chairperson Glen Mashinini announced the final results. It was regarded as the country's most fiercely contested municipal elections.
14 October 2016
"Cabinet appears to have taken an extraordinary and unprecedented step regarding intervention into what appears to be a dispute between a private company co-owned by the President's friends and his son. This needs to be looked at in relation to a possible conflict of interest between the President as head of state and his private interest as a friend and father as envisaged under section 2.3(c) of the Executive Ethics Code which regulates conflict of interest and section 195 of the Constitution which requires a high level of professional ethics" - State of Capture report by former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela.
7 November 2016
"They found peaceful Africans here. They killed them. They slaughtered them like animals. We are not calling for the slaughtering of white people, at least for now. What we are calling for is the peaceful occupation of the land and we don't owe anyone an apology for that." - EFF leader Julius Malema addressed supporters outside the Newcastle Magistrate's Court.
9 November 2016
"I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans"
"For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people, I'm reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so we can work together and unify our great country." - US president-elect Donald Trump delivering his victory speech, in one of the most shocking US elections in modern political history.
2 December 2016
"Political events have distracted from growth-enhancing reforms, while low GDP growth continues to affect South Africa's economic and fiscal performance and overall debt stock,"- S&P gave the South Africa economy a reprieve during the last rating of the year. The foreign-currency rating was kept at BBB- and the outlook was left at negative. The local-currency assessment was cut one level to BBB, the second-lowest investment grade.