Scandals, glamour and redemption: the most notable faces of 2016

In a political year dominated by state capture, ANC divisions and surprise election results, parliament maintained its appeal as the epicentre of the nation’s wild politics. The Sunday Times’s parliamentary bureau names this year’s top parliamentary achievers and most respected public servants

• BABES WODUMO

The singer inspired dance crazes even before her debut album, Gqom Queen, Vol. 1, was released. The video for her hit track Wololo has been viewed nearly four million times on YouTube since its release in June.

When a local newspaper tried to shame her after she said she didn't know who Pravin Gordhan was, Twitter asked an important question: "But does Pravin Gordhan know who Babes Wodumo is?"

• ALLISTER COETZEE

To be the first person to do something is usually a feat to be proud of - unless you're Bok coach Coetzee. He became the first coach to lose to Ireland at home, the first to lose to Argentina away and the first coach to lose to Italy.

Under Coetzee's management the Boks have lost eight of 12 tests - a record for a Bok coach. Ouch.

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• CASTER SEMENYA

The "Cobra" left the competition choking in her dust during the Rio Olympic Games, upsetting many of her detractors. Semenya was unbothered, telling her haters to get over it on Twitter. Her fabulous year was topped off when she graced the cover of ELLE magazine.

• FAF DU PLESSIS

One would have thought the cricketer had learnt his lesson after being fined for ball tampering in Pakistan in 2013. But Du Plessis got into trouble for the same offence yet again this year in a test match against Australia.

It wasn't all gloom for Du Plessis, though - he scored critical runs in tests to save South Africa from losing, and he captained well against Australia in place of AB de Villiers.

• GARETH CLIFF

After the man behind CliffCentral defended racist Penny Sparrow's right to "freedom of speech", he was axed as an Idols SA judge by M-Net.

He took the channel to court and was reinstated - only to hand in his resignation months later. The DJ also released his latest book, Cliffhanger: Confessions of a Shock Jock, last month.

• GUPTA BROTHERS

Are Ajay, Atul and Rajesh Gupta the most powerful people in South Africa? If the public protector's explosive State of Capture report is anything to go by, the answer is yes.

The brothers - good friends with our President Jacob Zuma - have made headlines for all the wrong reasons this year, although we imagine they can't be too upset about making the Sunday Times Rich List, with Atul's personal wealth valued at R10-billion. They have also single-handedly made Saxonwold the most famous suburb in South Africa.

• BRIAN MOLEFE

The former Eskom CEO has had his face on many a page and screen, but never so much as when he broke down in tears at a media conference, claiming that allegations about Eskom's dodgy deals with the Guptas were unfounded.

He also helped spark the hunt for the mythical Saxonwold shebeen.

• JACOB ZUMA

Has anyone in our recent history survived as much scandal unscathed? This year was business as usual for the prez, whose relationship with the Gupta brothers resulted in a 355-page report by the public protector.

He survived the Nkandla ruling made by the Constitutional Court and stifled a rebellion against him at an intense ANC national executive committee meeting that lasted two days. His name popped up everywhere, even in a parliamentary inquiry into the SABC board.

• JULIUS MALEMA

When Rivers Church pastor André Olivier refused to apologise after accusations of racism, Malema announced that he and the EFF would march to the church in protest.

Soon afterwards, Olivier changed his tune and said he was sorry - a testament to the power of one of the most polarising figures in politics today. Malema is as revered as he is loathed, and he continued to take on the ANC and Zuma, even scoring some victories with the help of the law.

• MCEBO DLAMINI

While Dlamini originally made the news after he publicly declared his love for Hitler, the former student representative council president at the University of the Witwatersrand became the 2016 face of the Fallist movement (adding to criticism that Wits gained media prominence over other universities in the #FeesMustFall protests).

When he wasn't on the frontlines of protests, Dlamini was inspiring students with his rousing speeches. His arrest only served to make him more popular among his Fallist fans.

• HLAUDI MOTSOENENG

"I cause havoc everywhere I go," is one of the former SABC executive's top quotes. From the drama surrounding his matric certificate to accusations of fraud, Motsoeneng couldn't keep out of the headlines.

The public protector found him responsible for "a toxic failure of corporate governance" at the SABC, and he was sued by ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu. He's also become a go-to choice for meme pictures on social media.

• MMUSI MAIMANE

The leader of the DA is regularly mocked on social media for apparently being nothing more than window-dressing for the DA, but this year he came into his own when he led the party to its biggest electoral showing yet.

Window-dressing or not, Maimane's leadership certainly earned the DA more votes and more followers ... 2019 should be a cracker.

• NOLUVO SWELINDAWO

On the morning of December 5, #NoluvoSwelindawo was the top trending topic on Twitter.

The 22-year-old was kidnapped, assaulted and murdered by a group of men who had broken into her home in Driftsands, Cape Town, the night before. Swelindawo was an activist who worked for an LGBTQI awareness and rights organisation called Sikhumbule Safe Space. She is the latest face of homophobia and gender-based violence in South Africa.

• PRAVIN GORDHAN

The finance minister was tasked with cleaning up the short-lived mess of Des van Rooyen's appointment as finance minister, only to find himself out of favour.

He shared an explosive affidavit which exposed the Gupta family's attempts to pressure him into using his office to unfreeze their bank accounts and came out on top in a war with the National Prosecuting Authority head Shaun Abrahams.

• LUVO MANYONGA

Here's a heart-warming success story: in 2014, Manyonga was fighting a years-long tik addiction, something he's spoken candidly about.

While his athletic career was taking off in 2012, he tested positive for drugs and was banned for 18 months. This year he won silver in the long jump at the Rio Olympics.

• PEARL THUSI

Few in our entertainment industry made moves like Thusi. The radio and TV presenter, actress and hair care queen (she has her own range of hair products) took on Hollywood this year.

She landed a role in the popular ABC series Quantico, starring Bollywood darling Priyanka Chopra. She also co-starred in the award-winning Solomon Mahlangu biopic, Kalushi.

• SHAUN ABRAHAMS

He embarrassed himself and the NPA when he rushed to charge Gordhan with fraud and theft. Those charges were swiftly dropped because they had no basis.

Abrahams dug in his heels, despite calls for his resignation (also because of his ill-advised support of former colleagues who were later disbarred).

• THULI MADONSELA

Madonsela's seven-year tenure as the public protector was never without drama, and she took on everyone, including Zuma himself, with her Nkandla report.

She made TIME magazine's 100 most influential people list in 2014 and this year she was named one of top five global leaders by Sweden's Tällberg Foundation. Her State of Capture report was an explosive way to end her term, as was being named Forbes's African Person of the Year.

• WAYDE VAN NIEKERK

You know you're great when Usain Bolt, the most famous and feared man in athletics, is a fan. At the Rio Olympics Van Niekerk won gold in the 400m, and broke a 17-year world record.

He was named best male athlete at the Olympics, and won sport star of the year, sportsman of the year and the People's Choice Award at the South African Sports Awards.

• PENNY SPARROW

Sparrow was the first of many racists to be outed on social media after they thought they could make inflammatory remarks and get away with them.

From Matthew Theunissen to Vicki Momberg, 2016 saw white South Africans getting into hot water after they showed us that the Rainbow Nation dream of the 1990s was nothing more than a farce.

• STEVE KOMPHELA

Few coaches get as much attention as Kaizer Chiefs man Komphela. Although he's not spared the scrutiny that comes with coaching one of the country's biggest football clubs, he's popular for his philosophical approach to interviews.

Whenever he finds himself in front of a microphone, social media is abuzz with prized quotes like this classic: "Like a man giving birth to a son, you call it the last push, that's what we have to do - a last push to the top eight."

• TREVOR NOAH

This year, critics and audiences started warming to Noah as host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show. His interview with outgoing US president Barack Obama was a highlight. Noah also released a well-received memoir, Born a Crime.