Goodbye 2014: It was the worst of times

Nkandla. Oscar Pistorius. Elections 2014. Julius Malema. Pansy Tlakula. Mamphela Ramphele. Zwelinzima Vavi. Hlaudi Motsoeneng. #PayBackTheMoney. Senzo Meyiwa. Eskom. Shrien Dewani. Cosatu. And always, Jacob Zuma. They occupied the news and our minds, and defined the world we live in. It was a never-ending big news year that shone the spotlight on the ethics of our president, examined whether our star athlete, and onetime idol, was a cold-blooded killer, and saw a significant shift in South African politics, with the Economic Freedom Fighters now firmly ensconced in the milieu. We may be a grown up 20-year-old democracy, but this year, we reached the furthest point away from the nation we were meant to be. By RANJENI MUNUSAMY.