The A to Z of 2015

City Press takes a look at the individuals, organisations and issues likely
to make headlines over the next year, both at home and abroad
Boko Haram,
#bringbackourgirls
Theyve brought death and terror to Nigeria and
its neighbours, and theres no sign the heavily
armed militants will weaken this year. We hope
this will be the year theyre reined in or, at the
very least, that the Chibok schoolgirls they
abducted in April make it safely home

ANC and Afcon

The governing party needs to
consolidate its power in some
areas and seriously shore up
support in others, like the
troubled Nelson Mandela Bay
Metro, if its to thrive in the 2016
local government elections.
On the soccer eld, fans will
be looking to Shakes Mashaba
and his Bafana squad to do us
proud in the Africa Cup of Nations
(Afcon)

The deputy president

wont rock the political
boat this year: hes
playing a long game thats
likely to culminate during the
ANCs leadership elections in
2017. But hes increasingly the
face of government on the
ground and, as the second
most powerful man in the
country, its important to keep
your eye on Ramaphosa

Digital migration

Ebola and the EFF

Ready or not, the shift to digital

terrestrial TV is here. Sadly,
South Africa seems nowhere near
ready and were likely to be left
behind by poor planning and
political wrangling when the
deadline arrives mid-year

Ebola claimed nearly 8 000 lives last year, and with

neither vaccine nor cure, theres little hope on the
horizon. Time magazine named those ghting Ebola
as its people of the year [2014], and we hope theyll
get the nod a second year running for successfully
bringing the disease under control.
As for Julius Malema and his red berets, theyll
be marching towards the 2016 local government
elections and love them or hate them the nation
will be watching to see whether the third largest
party in the National Assembly has stamina beyond
its explosive debut on the political scene

Generations

Hillary and Hlaudi

The 16 actors who were axed

from the SABCs agship soapie
in August are not going quietly
into 2015. Theyre challenging
their dismissal in court and want
the broadcaster to get rid of
replacement show Generations:
The Legacy. Expect more
off-screen drama

As US President Barack Obama winds down his

presidency, Hillary Clinton is eying a stint in the
White House that would make her the USs rst
female president.
Closer to home, SABC chief operating
ofcer Hlaudi Motsoeneng will remain
the most powerful force at the troubled
broadcaster. He and his team wrapped
up last year by banning images of
Economic Freedom Fighters MPs
chanting Pay back the money! at
President Jacob Zuma. Will this
kind of censorship be the name
of the game again this year?

JZ
Our president had a tough 2014
and will no doubt hope opposition
parties New Years resolutions
include never mention Nkandla
again. But those who write off
Number 1 are foolish hes a
clever strategist whose allies will
back him to the hilt. Will he don
his Mr Delivery uniform this year
to prove to voters the ANC should
sweep the ballots next year?

Cyril Ramaphosa

Kim Kardashian
and Kaizer Chiefs
Diarise April 28 if you cant think of
anything better than hundreds of pages
of Kim Kardashians seles. Thats
when Kardashian, whos perfected the
art of being famous for being famous,
releases her book, Kim Kardashian
Selsh.
If youre more interested in boots
than booty, youll be keenly watching
whether Amakhosi can extend their
hot streak all the way to a PSL win, or
if challengers to the title will catch up
and change the course of the season

Ferguson and Fifty

Shades of Grey
Ferguson, and the shooting of black teenager
Mike Brown by a white police ofcer, has
become the rallying point for Americans fed
up with racism. Other police shootings and the
keen eyes of civil society mean the US wont
be able to look the other way this year. Will
that mean reform? Only time will tell.
Far less serious, but culturally important
to many, is the release on Valentines Day of
Fifty Shades of Grey. With a soundtrack by
Beyonc and raunchy sex scenes, its likely to
raise temperatures and tempers for months

The Islamic State

(formerly Isis or Isil)
In the last six months of last
year, the Islamic State executed
nearly 2 000 people in Syria,
including 120 of its own
members. Thats according to
the Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights. The powerful
militant group, like Boko Haram,
seems only to be getting
stronger. Can it be stopped?

Limpopo and local government

Missing planes

The administrators are gone and now its up to

Premier Stan Mathabatha and his team to keep
Limpopo from sliding back to the brink of ruin.
Local government will trend from Polokwane to
Paternoster as parties prepare for the 2016
municipal elections. Fingers crossed well see
vast improvements and
nally a real focus on
austerity and delivery

When Malaysia Airlines ight

MH370 vanished over the South
China Sea in March last year, the
world reeled in disbelief. Now
AirAsias Indonesia ight QZ8501
has disappeared too, presumably
going down in bad weather. Any
aviation disaster captures the
worlds attention, and people will
scan the skies a little more
carefully this year