The year 2025 has been a truly momentous year in the life of our nation.
The events have not only been high impact but they have been coming hot and heavy, almost like the rapid fire of the infamous AK-47.
Early this year the government of national unity (GNU), which was vehemently opposed by the ANC’s tripartite alliance partners, particularly the SACP, faced major threats to its stability.
These were also related to major disagreements between the two main parties in the GNU, the ANC and the DA.
They included the National Health Insurance (NHI), the Expropriation Bill and broad-based black economic empowerment.
Consequently, this led to the unprecedented postponement of the budget speech mainly due to the VAT increase saga, after which the second budget proposal was rejected, only to pass the third time around.
While these were major disruptions, they were also a worthy test of the maturity of our democracy.
The diplomatic ties with the US took a turn for the worse under the guidance of the erratic US president, Donald Trump.
The US unleashed a relentless barrage of misinformation and actions aimed at intimidating and embarrassing SA on the international arena.
That barrage included the increased tariffs and granting of asylum to a group of Afrikaners at a time when the US was deporting far more deserving refugees.
The prevailing suspicion was that SA’s legal action against Israel in the International Court of Justice and refusing to back down angered Trump a great deal.
While this earned SA the wrath of the US, it also earned it great respect on the international stage as a champion of human rights and justice.
Meanwhile, July 6 will remain etched in the memories of many South Africans.
The fact that General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi went to this media conference accompanied by a fully-armed special forces task team added to the gravity and urgency of the event.
The contents of the media conference would send lightning bolts through the entire country, shocking even the most hardened.
The suggestion that the entire justice system was compromised to the point of collapse was still unbelievable regardless of the solid reputation Mkhwanazi had already built in his policing career.
The real shock would come later as the Madlanga commission and the parliamentary ad hoc committee went on to investigate.
Two things came out of this. SA is being severely tested.
Secondly, it demonstrated the ability of our country to remain standing in the face of the deep infiltration of our security cluster, and remains standing.
The revelations of collusion between criminal cartels, senior police officers and politicians remain a source of great anger and loathing among our people.
This level of betrayal rivals that of the Afrikaners who relied on the lies of “white genocide” to prompt Trump to take misguided actions against SA.
In fact, it rivals the betrayal of the few Afrikaners who decided on apartheid in the first place.
The recent assassination of DJ Warras in broad daylight on the streets of Johannesburg, shortly after the assassination of Marius van der Merwe, tells the tale of extremely emboldened criminals who are willing to lean on the privileges of our laws while misusing them to their nefarious ends.
This is also a sign of desperation which should not be lost to what is left of our law enforcement.
Perhaps Mkhwanazi should be given free reign and every possible resource to chase and deal with these criminals both on the streets and in the courts of this land.
What little resilience is left in us hopes that President Cyril Ramaphosa will do just that, to unleash hell on the criminals who have been unleashing hell on this country for so long.
This is also the year when the G20 came to Africa.
It did not just come to Africa, it came to SA and was boycotted by one of the founders of the G20, the US.
However, despite this, South Africa came through and delivered an event of historic proportions, highlighting solidarity, equality and sustainability and throwing these concepts well into the future.
South Africa also came off the grey list and had its first sovereign credit upgrade in almost two decades.
Recently, a R3.4bn private rail investment was announced, promising the first signs that the economic reforms are starting to find traction.
As I wish you, our readers, a Merry Holiday, hold on, these positive economic offshoots promise to launch SA into a new trajectory post political liberation era into a truly modern economy.
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