Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

The two questions everyone will be asking everyone at this time of the year. One, how was your 2008? People ask this in an effort to gather people perceptions about the year that was, 2008.

Two, what are your New Year resolutions? is another question you might find asking your friends or your friends asking you. Many people, I think, ask this question in an effort to help plan or re-plan their future goals because we can plan our lives. This – can’t plan our lives – we can not do because God does that on our behalf!

The way people go about asking these questions is as if everything has come to an end and now another planning of some sort should take place, which is not the case.

Highlights of 2008
2008 was a-happening-year which saw many South Africans watching a lot happen and changes, though some of them were sad while other could be regarded as history-made.

The following as just a few of the things that happened in 2008, not only in South Africa but all over the world:

• Xenophobic attacks (not born- or originated in South Africa being attached by South Africans who claimed they 9foreigners) were taking their jobs and weirdly, woman. And how loose are these women if they are taken that easily?);
• A person burnt alive during the xenophobic attacks;
• President Thabo Mbeki, now an ex-president, being recalled in the South Africa history (if my historical memory still serve me well);
• Formation of Congress of The People ( COPE ) by unhappy and disgruntled African National Congress members;
• Suspension of Vusi Pikoli (unfairly) by the recalled SA former president Thabo Mbeki as National Prosecution Boss for reasons that could not be proved by the State during the Ginwala Commission of Enquiry into his fitness for office and the irretrievable breakdown of communication between he and Justice Minister Bridgett Mabandla, and later his dismissal by SA president Kgalema Motlanthe;
• The passing of Mama Africa, Marriam Makeba;
  ANC’s arrogance and persistence in claiming “Congress of the People” as its trademark without the trademark rights;
• ANC Youth League president Julius Malema’s “…kill for Zuma…” speech many South Africans saw as arrogant, unconstitutional and what I regard as “unlike-a-leader-speech”; and
• Read and finished Laying Ghosts to Rest: The Dilemmas of Transformation in South Africa by Mamphele Ramphele and The Arms Deal in Your Pocket by Paul Holden.
  

Above is a few amongst the happenings which took place in 2008 and hope 2009 will bring a few more exiting incidents. Too, a few of those took place in South Africa have put the country in the spot light as a developing democracy and high expectations on how it will address some of these challenges – reaching Millennium Development Goals being one of them.

It remains to be seen whether 2009, especially it first quarter, will be a tough and difficult for South Africans as economists foresee.