The 2024 has been an eventful year, from the dismal showing of the ANC at the elections, to the accusations of vote rigging, the onset of food poisoning incidents to more than 4 000 miners said to be trapped inside the Stilfontein mine to the controversy of one Chidimma Adetshina from the Miss SA.
This year was not short of any drama. We round off the year with Saturday Star’s good and bad of 2024.
January 2024
January began with a joyous welcoming of 112 babies by the Gauteng Department of Health. Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, the Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, marked the occasion by visiting Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital in Pretoria North.
There, she extended congratulations to the proud parents and distributed gifts to celebrate the births. In total, the country welcomed 411 newborns on the day with the youngest mom a 14-year-old from KZN.
However, following the ANC’s January 8 statement delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa in Mbombela, Mpumalanga this month ended on a sour note after a Rand Water executive, Teboho Joala was killed in a suspected hit in full view of over 70 primary school pupils at the Zakariyya Park Community Hall, south of Johannesburg on Monday. His bodyguard was also killed in the shooting, while City of Joburg African National Congress (ANC) chief whip Sthembiso Zungu also sustained two gunshot wounds after being caught in the crossfire.
Also, in January, economist Thabi Leoka, who was exposed for allegedly not holding a PhD in economics from a top UK university, was forced to resign her position as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, effective 22 January. She has also quit her position on both the Anglo American Platinum and MTN SA boards after she was involved in qualification fraud.
February 2024
The month of love was not spared any drama. President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered what many said was a State of the Nation Address (SONA) that was devoid of any truth. Who would have thought that our Oscar winning actress, Terry Pheto would also be implicated in the National Lotteries Commission corruption.
She and eight other people, including two lawyers, an accountant, a hotel group CEO and a former commissioner of the NLC, were investigated by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) in a multimillion-rand fraud scheme, which allegedly saw them obtaining properties through money fraudulently acquired from the NLC.
March 2024
This month South Africans and Damelin students learned of with shock the sad news that Damelin and three of its sister colleges were being de-registered by the department of higher education due to the failure of the colleges to issue audited financials since 2020.
April 2024
In April, South Africans learned of the arrest of former National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula. This is after the embattled Speaker handed herself to police in Pretoria central, where she was then arrested.
As if this was not enough, the arrest of former bursaries specialist at KPMG, Fidelis Moema took South Africa by storm after it was revealed that he was director of six companies, two of which have been de-registered for non-compliance. He is accused of having stolen R16.5 million in bursary funds, will remain in custody as he waits to find out whether he will be released on bail.
Then it was back to the MK Party whose campaign in the elections received a boost after the high court ruled on 9 April that he would be able to stand in the May 29 general elections, overturning a decision by electoral authorities to bar him over a criminal conviction.
May 2024
The May elections fever brought a lot of drama to the table. The month-long drama ahead of the elections was pure spectacle on its own. This is after the MK Party had been embroiled in a number of court cases, including the eligibility of Jacob Zuma’s face to be on the ballot.
This drama continued amid allegations of vote rigging following the highly-contested elections which saw the ANC falling just over 40% voter share, while the DA retained its 20%.
However, the biggest drama came during the counting of the votes when all of a sudden, the elections scoreboard jammed for two hours, resulting in IEC being accused of electoral fraud.
June 2024
The elections fever did not stop with the end of the elections, but continued to hog the headlines throughout the month of June.
Members of the MKP say they witnessed IEC staff unloading ballot papers at an unauthorized location in Mpumalanga Township, Hammarsdale. They confronted IEC officials and alleged that the ballots were being positioned to rig the election results. This incident, which occurred just days before the election, led to heightened tensions and accusations of electoral fraud.
However, the biggest news coming out of this month was the arrest of former ANC spokesperson and minister of sports, arts and culture, Zizi Kodwa on charges of fraud, corruption and racketeering.
Kodwa was arrested and appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court on June 5 in connection with allegations that he received R1.6 million in bribes.
July 2024
Fresh from being installed as the Minister of sports, arts and culture, under the Government of National Unity (GNU), Gayton McKenzie stunned many when he publicly named and shamed artists who benefited from the Covid relief funds.
On the international front, the attempted attack and shooting of then presidential hope, Donald Trump was yet another reminder of the drama that is American political landscapes.
August 2024
This month, dubbed the month of women, marked a shocking political twist, after EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu confirmed, during a media briefing at the EFF headquarters that was resigning from the party to join the Jacob Zuma-led MK Party.
Shivambu's resignation came mere months before the party was set to hold its third elective conference in December.
In August, Miss SA Top 10 finalist Chidimma Adetshina officially withdrew her candidacy from the pageant, citing a fear for her safety and well-being.
The 23-year-old – who has previously spoken out about suicidal attempts – has faced scrutiny over her Nigerian father and Mozambican mother, who allegedly committed fraud and identity theft.The shock announcement came days before the pageant finale on Saturday, 10 August, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria.
September 2024
The Western Cape government indicated that between 2018 and December 2022, more than 20 housing developments, which would house more than 21 000 people, were delayed or halted by extortion mafias, while this was happening, similar issues also began manifesting themselves in other parts of the country.
October 2024
This month was once another tragic month for the more than 25 young children who died after allegedly consuming poisonous food snacks, bought from local spaza shops.
The incident involving the death of six children from Naledi marked yet another tragedy as more and more young children were hospitalised under similar circumstances.
November 2024
Following the widespread food borne illnesses across the country and the closure of spaza shops, President Cyril Ramaphosa instructed spaza shop owners to re-register their businesses within 21 days.
Despite trying to prevent his arrest through an urgent interdict, South African Football Association (SAFA) boss Danny Jordaan was arrested at his home in Johannesburg on charges of fraud and theft after allegedly using about R1.3 million of SAFA's money for personal gain.
December 2024
The month has been dedicated to big political developments. The second week was dominated by political developments with the MKP gearing up to celebrate its one-year anniversary on Sunday, December 15. While this was happening, the South African Communist Party(SACP) held its 5th National Congress after declaring publicly that it will, for the first time, contest contest the upcoming local government elections independently from the ANC.
As if this was not enough, the EFF which faced challenges following the departure of its former deputy president Floyd Shivambu, who defected to the MK Party was due to elect a set of new leaders except of course, Julius Malema who remains firmly entrenched in his seat as the CIC.
Saturday Star