It’s official! KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is the Sunday Times newsmaker of the year.
In an online poll this week, Mkhwanazi was the runaway winner, securing 65% of votes and making him the biggest hogger of headlines this year.
In second place was tenderpreneur and attempted-murder accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala with 17% of the votes. Third was Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla with 4%.
Mkhwanazi, the former head of the KZN political killings task team, has become a household name since his explosive press briefing on July 6.
His fiery talk and military gear have polarised South Africans, some of whom believe he is the antidote to police corruption while others suspect him of a power-hungry agenda.
During the briefing, he made damning allegations against high-ranking police officials and politicians, including the since-suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu, police deputy head Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya and members of the judiciary. He accused them of aiding criminal syndicates, involving themselves improperly in investigations and obstructing justice.
His claims gave rise to the Madlanga commission of inquiry as well as an ad hoc parliamentary committee investigation.
Mkhwanazi was competing with nine other newsmakers who have featured prominently in the news cycle this year — some for their successes and others for their controversies.
They are:
Nkosana Makate
South Africans gave a collective cheer when it was announced in November that Vodacom and Makate had reached an agreement in their “Please Call Me” litigation. After all, who doesn’t love an underdog? This 17-year David-and-Goliath court battle revealed Makate’s stoic, quiet determination for justice and won him many fans. While we shall probably never know exactly what the settlement was, we do know he is set for life.
Vusimusi ‘Cat’ Matlala
Arguably South Africa’s villain of the year, this tenderpreneur and attempted-murder accused has been the topic of thousands of conversations at braais and dinner tables across the country. South Africans hung on his every word at the Madlanga commission, where he described paying hundreds of thousands of rand to former police minister Bheki Cele in Woolies bags in an audacious explanation of how police top brass were captured.
Jannie Mouton
The founder of Capitec and PSG announced one of South Africa’s biggest philanthropic deals this year — the purchase of the country’s largest private school operator, Curro Holdings, through the Jannie Mouton Foundation for about R7.2bn. The aim is to transform it from a profit-driven entity into a nonprofit public benefit organisation to improve South Africa’s education system. The Competition Commission approved the deal, with conditions.
Nobuhle Nkabane
The former higher education minister was axed by President Cyril Ramaphosa after just a year in the job on July 21 amid controversy over appointments to the boards of sector education and training authorities (Setas). But perhaps the most memorable incident was her bizarre behaviour while accounting to parliament. Nkhabane refused to take responsibility for her actions and was recorded eating during the hearing in what was later dubbed “snackgate”.
Shauwn Mkhize
South Africa’s queen of bling has been forced to go “minimalist” this year after five auctions of her belongings by the South African Revenue Service to offset the R40m she reportedly owes in taxes. Under the hammer were various luxury cars, designer bags and her alcohol collection. Even her football club, Royal AM, has not escaped unscathed. In a raid on its KZN training facility, dormitories used by the club’s women’s side were emptied of beds and other essentials while players continued with training sessions nearby.
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla
Msholozi’s most famous offspring has always been known for being fiery. But she overdid the heat this year by allegedly luring MK Party recruits to Russia. They thought they were receiving “bodyguard training” but found themselves on the frontline in Putin’s war against Ukraine. Zuma-Sambudla has denied the allegations, but has resigned as an MP for the party. The Hawks are investigating the saga.
Tyla
The Joburg artist has ramped up her global domination this year, breaking barriers with major wins at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, the American Music Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards and others. She has performed at Coachella and Global Citizen and featured on the cover of British Vogue and in Glamour’s Women of the Year issue. The “princess of popiano” shows no signs of slowing down, with a nomination for a 2026 Grammy Award in the best African music performance category.
Kelly Smith
Few people evoked such a strong emotional reaction from the public this year as Kelly Smith, the mother of missing Joshlin Smith. She yawned through her human trafficking trial and showed little emotion during court proceedings. Smith and her co-accused were sentenced to life imprisonment, but the mystery of what happened to Joshlin has never been solved.
Collins Letsoalo
The former Road Accident Fund boss’s maniacal defiance of accountability has hogged headlines for much of the year. He refuses to account to parliamentary committees, has been accused of spending millions of rand on bodyguards whom he forced to work on his farm and is under investigation for overseeing irregular contracts worth millions. While his contract as CEO expired after he was suspended in June, new controversies continue to emerge on an alarmingly regular basis.
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