Publications
Partners
It is standard practise for Happy New Year wishes to contain messages of peace, goodwill and hope for the future.
And while South African politicians by no means wished their compatriots ill for the coming year, from across the floor, many of our politicians seemed to break the mould by honing in on two themes as they wished us a happy New Year: the 2019 elections, and "the revolution".
Having recently joined the Twitterverse, former president and soon-to-be recording artist, Jacob Zuma wished South Africans a "revolutionary" New Year.
EFF leader Julius Malema wished for exactly the same thing.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane kept it straightforward a few days before New Year's Eve, but ended off his wish with the DA’s 2019 election slogan, One SA for All.
Leader of the UDM, Bantu Holomisa, called for 2019 to be the year of Pan Africanism, and tweeted a video of Nigerian musician Flavour’s song, Chimamanda.
Finance minister Tito Mboweni broke with the trend. He gave his followers a welcome relief from his recent tweeting about Rwanda and posted a picture of his family seeing in the new year by candle light.
President Cyril Ramaphosa posted a three-part New Year’s message, in which he highlighted some of his administration’s work over the last year, including his investment drive. Ramaphosa also highlighted issues he wished to see addressed in 2019, including gender-based violence, which he called, "a national emergency".
Ramaphosa also used the opportunity to urge South Africans to register to vote.
The ANC’s head of elections, Fikile Mbalula, in typical razzmatazz fashion, ended off the year with several tweets, including a rambling missive about struggle icons, radicalism and the ANC; a list of his favourite songs of 2018, and welcomed in the New Year on January 1 with a picture of himself.
And from News24, happy new year everyone!
