Can Ramaphosa clean up the Augean stables that have been exposed for all to see?

As we wrap up this year that has been packed with incredible happenings, it’s important to stop and look back at the past dozen months. What a year it has been.

There have been some sporadic but impactful bulletins of good news throughout 2025, but the harsh truth is that they were interspersed with - and sometimes overshadowed by – some big dollops of bad, shocking and sometimes unbelievable stuff. But, all things considered, I would argue that even the bad news was good for South Africa – at least for opening our eyes. It may have been painful to take in those bad news doses, but lancing a boil is necessary for cleaning up and healing – or, as President Cyril Ramaphosa would put it, “renewal”, “self correction”, “consequence management”, etc.

Towards the end some green shoots emerged. Among them we can count Eskom reporting a wholesome profit of R16bn instead of the usual massive losses and load shedding, and our economy receiving some important upgrades from one of those evil ratings agencies who are always wont to scare off our potential foreign investors  – S&P Global.

This was also the year of Donald Trump 2.0, but the least said about that unstable individual the better.

The real news of the year was delivered live via national television channels on July 6. What was supposed to be an easy Sunday, with most people relaxing at home, was turned into a cataclysmic day by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Those volcanic revelations he made shook the country and the criminal justice system to the core. Some politicians are still scurrying around trying to dodge the fallout.

It was the baddest news, but it was good to know how bad things really were – a painful but necessary first step towards fixing anything. It was so bad that even Mr Processes himself was forced to jump into action and suspend Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and initiate public inquiries. There were other suspensions by others but, much more decisive action should have been taken long ago. However, this incredible year isn’t quite over yet.

Does our president have what it takes to clean out the Augean stables that have been exposed? Let’s watch this space.

 Happy holidays and all the best for 2026!