It is that time of the year during which we spend time with loved ones and family to reflect on the year that was and the one ahead. And as we holiday and enjoy the delicious feasts, let’s reflect on the buffoons of year.

You are hereby invited to vote for the mampara of the year.

There were not many repeat offenders this year, which partly explains why this was the year of buffoonery, as MPs, judges, CEOs and ministers fell over themselves on the clownery.

First up is the man of the law with grey her, Eastern Cape High Court judge president Selby Mbenenge. This man charged with sexual harassment of a subordinate, during an inquiry into his alleged misconduct, sponsored all sorts of astounding excuses for his alleged bad behaviour, including his Xhosa culture. It was also shocking to see, for a jurist, his recalcitrant attitude during his judicial misconduct inquiry.

When she was appointed as higher education and training minister in 2024, many hailed that development as strong endorsement of youth leadership. But Nobuhle Nkabane messed it all up with controversial appointments of failed ANC politicians as chairperson of critical sectoral education and training authorities. And when parliament probed on the issues, multiple times, she lied at every given opportunity — chewing gum loudly while at it. Thankfully she’s now an irrelevant backbencher in the National Assembly.

And then enter Tebogo Malaka, the CEO of an entity linked to the scandal-prone department of public works, the Independent Development Trust (IDT), which is under investigation over irregularities in the awarding of a multimillion-rand oxygen supply tender. The desperate Malaka was in August caught on video offering a bribe to an investigative journalist, with cash stashed in a Dior envelope, even invoking the name of her family in attempts to hide her shame. Now criminal charges are pending against her.

Suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu was once considered by President Cyril Ramaphosa and his inner circle as a possible successor. But now he has fallen out of favour, what with the former KZN premier now the subject Madlanga commission of inquiry into police corruption and a similar parallel probe by parliament.

Mchunu’s predecessor Bheki Cele is also high up in the mampara stakes. The fedora-wearing, dancing politician apparently rubs shoulders with alleged criminal kingpins, most notably the notorious Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. Not only did “Cat” claim that Cele had lived it up at his glamorous pad in Pretoria East, but also that he bribed him with cash in a Woolworths shopping bag, which he described before parliament as “the money bag”.

DA leader John Steenhuisen just keeps fumbling. It emerged this year that the leader of a party that preaches clean governance and shuns corruption and financial mismanagement is himself an abuser of party funds. Steenhuisen apparently abused his DA-allocated credit card, in the form of Uber Eats meals for him and his family.

Who can forget Brown Mogotsi, the alleged spy and apparent contact of minister Mchunu? This clown, appearing before the Madlanga commission of inquiry, unashamedly admitted to wilfully lying under oath. “In circumstances in executing my duties, I have to lie,” he told the commissioners, keeping a straight face. And this is someone known to frolic with heavyweights tasked with safeguarding the country. Be very afraid.