Year In Review: The Winners and Losers of 2016

It is subjective, depending on your vantage point to the story.

It can be very philosophical: 2016 was politically, financially, morally and emotionally tough and we were all losers, but we are still here planning for the future, so that means surviving all that should make us all winners.

Some battles were fought without any clear winners or losers emerging yet, like the #MustFall movements against university fees, racism, Zuma and the Gupta's.

These are all still standing, but the movements have shaken up the status quo in such a way, that the broader SA public and decision makers have at least though about, considered and hopefully taken a clear stance on each of these to bring positive change.

In 2016, a solid foundation has been laid for more action and maybe clear wins and losses in 2017, for a South Africa that is better for all.  

Top 5 Losers of 2016:

5. Social Media Racists and other Idiots:

2016 started with a Facebook bang: Penny Sparrow and her deeply racist rant against black South Africans on Durban's beaches. The outrage from black South Africans forced the courts to act and law-makers to consider proper anti-racism punishment.

Sadly, Penny was not the last and other, mostly white South Africans spewed their racist bile on social media, putting all white South Africans to shame. Twars led to debates and discussions that exposed the depth of racism in the South African fibre.

Then, there was Margaret van Wyk, the mother and wife from Schweizer-Reneke who sent a most intimate invitation to her husband, to the wrong WhatsApp group. School "hockey moms" groups will never be the same again.

4. The State of Capture gang: 

Former Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela's parting gift to South Africa was her "State of Capture Report". After seven years in the office, Adv. Madonsela did not disappoint, giving substance to much-discussed rumours and reports that circulated in plain sight for many months. At the centre of it all: the business interests and astounding wealth of the Gupta family. South African banks now refuse to take their business and a number of minions have been exposed: Brian Molefe resigned as Eskom boss, after a tearful press conference and laughable Saxonwold shebeen-claim. Like President Zuma, implicated cabinet members including Des van Rooyen and Mosebezi Zwane are still in their positions, but time is unlikely to be on their side.

3. The ANC:

The ruling party should have seen it coming: the people of South Africa had been screaming Nene-gate, Nkandla, Zupta-must-Fall e-tolls, #FeesMustFall for months. 

The ANC in Tshwane revolted against mayoral candidate Thoko Didiza, resulting in a week of deadly clashes. However, the ANC went into the Local Government Elections "secure in comfort" of a struggle history and election record that have survived Jacob Zuma and most of the above before.

The ANC still emerged with the majority vote of 56% on a national level. But it was not enough to keep it in power in Johannesburg, Tshwane or Nelson Mandela Bay which it lost to the DA along with Cape Town that went even deeper into the blue. But, the Local Government Elections is just one expression of the ruling party's diminishing hold on South Africa's leadership. 

Shifts are sure the happen ahead of the party elective conference in December 2017.  

2. Parliament, Organs of State and SOE's:  

"Skinned to the bone, the contention here is that the National Assembly failed to fulfil its constitutional obligation to hold the President accountable." One damning finding by the Constitutional Court in its March Nkandla judgement. 

The National Assembly Speaker, Baleka Mbete, has been shouted down and sittings disrupted by the EFF for months, but it was the Constitutional Court that confirmed that parliament was protecting the president, at the cost of the people it is supposed to be serving. The Supreme Court of Appeal in September ruled against the use of signal jammers and the disruption of live TV-feeds in parliament, when things get out of hand.

The National Prosecuting Authority and its head, Shawn Abrahams got egg on the face for its Pravin Gordhan-case, exposing the depth of political interference in the independence of the South African judiciary. Add to this the firing and hiring at the Hawks, SARS, and the SABC, the wrong sized train-order by PRASA, coal deals at Eskom and happenings at SAA … the list of losers seems to be endless.

1. Jacob Zuma:

He has a huge house, according to some a fat off-shore bank account, the highest political office in the country and he still manages to laugh and smile in public.

Jacob Zuma has lost so many court cases this year, it's difficult to keep track: Nkandla, the Spy-tapes saga, the release of the State of Capture report.

The ground is giving way under the Zuma house of cards and his political and legal fate is not in his own hands anymore. The jury has mostly made up its mind that Zuma must go: but what to do with him after, who to put in his place and what to do with the secrets he holds, are still outstanding.

A few key flips and it could all come crashing down …  

Top 5 Winners of 2016:

5. Students:

South African tertiary students and the fight for fee free, quality, decolonised education dominated the news for most of 2016. 

Some would argue that the 8% fee hike for 2017 shows that the students did not achieve their goal. Those who can, will pay. Those who cannot applied for aid and the missing middle would not have to pay the increase. 

The 2016 academic year was not lost as feared, with most students managing to write finals. 

This war is far from over and if the fight is fair, the students are on their way to an equal start, free from economic injustice.   

4. Young SA Women:

Some strong, young female voices led the birth of #FeesMustFall towards the end of 2015, which carried into 2016. 

On 6 August, four young women, dressed in black, took to the floor in front of Jacob Zuma, as he started his post-election address. If the election result was not equal to defeat, the voiceless protest, and four simple, hand written pages were: "Remember Khwezi", "Khanga", "I am 1-in-3" and "10 years later". Despite her death just two months later, the truth of Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo (aka Khwezi) lives on.

Images of young, black, afro-proud girls, protesting at Pretoria High School for Girls shook the establishment to the core and the world now knows that #BlackHairMatters and so much more.

3. Pravin Gordhan and the SA Economy:

President Zuma ended off 2015 with the shock sacking of Finance Minister, Nhlanhla Nene and the rand shattering announcement of Des van Rooyen as his replacement. Billions were lost in the tsunami that followed with junk looming as our inevitable economic status. 

A quick switch of portfolios saw Pravin Gordhan rise to his former position bringing calm, sanity and hope.

The Economy is far from out of the woods, but despite the drought and thanks to some unexpected international insanity, the interest rate is still bearable, inflation has not hit the roof, the petrol price is comfortable, the rand is around 14 to the dollar and we haven't been downgraded to 'junk status'. 

Pravin Gordhan did not flinch when faced with fraud charges. He managed to keep his cool and will have to keep doing that, when the hangover from the 2016-festivities hits in the New Year in the form of tax-hikes, cost-of-living increases and more financial belt-tightening. 

2. The Opposition:

The DA and EFF pulled off a 2016 Local Government election victory in the major SA metro's, comparable to Brexit and Trump. The DA, as the official opposition, could not do it alone, securing the EFF its power position as kingmaker that makes up for its lack in size. Julius Malema's red berets kept their national election promise, to shake up parliament from its ANC dominated slumber, while the DA promised a corruption-free government that listens to the people.  

1. The SA Constitution and its keepers:

In 2016, South Africa celebrated 20 years of one of the most revered constitutions in the world. The spirit of the highest law in the land was tested and referenced often, but came out winning after some bloody battles. 

The keepers of the constitution like Public Protector Thuli Madonsela and Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, showed their mettle against the onslaught from the ruling party parliament, cabinet and president. 

With the battle of Nkandla laying bare the lack of moral direction of those in power and the lengths they would go to, to protect a life of privilege and power for a few at the cost of the many who trusted them, civil society found the courage to speak out. ANC veterans, Save SA and even some within the ruling party, have found a voice that is sure to grow louder in 2017.

In the words of Chief Justice Mogoeng as he started his Nkandla-judgement on 31 March 2016: South Africa "adopted accountability, the rule of law, and the supremacy of the Constitution. For this reason, public office-bearers ignore their constitutional obligations at their peril. This is so because constitutionalism, accountability and the rule of law constitute the sharp and mighty sword that stands ready to chop the ugly head of impunity off its stiffened neck."