Who’s ‘corrupt’… and who just needs a Panado? – Four moemish makers of 2024

2024 has been a challenging year for South Africans, but it can feel even longer when you are in the spotlight for your blunders.

The Citizen takes a look at the fools of 2024 … in no particular order.

Fools of 2024 list:

Emfuleni’s Jason Mkhwane

Emfuleni Local Municipality supply chain manager, Jason Mkhwane, was found wanting after he decided to sue his ex-colleague, Andile Dyakala, for defamation.

The case originated from a series of messages Dyakala, the municipality’s former chief financial officer (CFO) in 2019, posted in a WhatsApp group.

In these messages, he accused Mkhwane of “normalising corruption” and being a “renowned bully”.

This led Mkhwane to initiate legal proceedings against Dyakala, who contended in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg that the allegations in the WhatsApp messages were justified due to their truthfulness.

Mkhwane claimed that the messages were defamatory and harmed his reputation, particularly since they were aired on the radio.

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However, Judge Stuart Wilson determined that there was evidence indicating possible corruption on Mkhwane’s part, leading to his loss in court.

“Accordingly, I find the allegation that Mr Mkhwane was normalising corruption, and the implication that he was personally corrupt, to be substantially true on the proven facts,” the judgment read.

Not only did Mkhwane lose money in the defamation case after he was ordered to pay the costs of his unsuccessful application, but he also found himself with a corruption stain on his ANC t-shirt.

Stupid or careless?

Guess Mkhwane will be the judge of that.

Gregory Ally

Advocate Gregory Ally made a major blunder that landed him on the fools’ list in full view of South Africans on national television.

During his interview for a judge position in the Gauteng Division of the High Court by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), it emerged that Ally not only nominated himself as a candidate but also accepted his own nomination.

In his defence, the legal practitioner argued that the advert did not specify who could make the nomination.

READ MORE: Gregory Ally: A self-nominated judge with no credibility

Ally also pointed out that he applied and was shortlisted hence he came to the interview.

“But it is what it is,” he conceded.

To think that that was the end of it, Ally was grilled over his pile of incomplete judgments, in some instances more than a year, during his tenure as an acting judge.

Chief Justice Mandisa Maya reminded him that judgments have to be delivered within three months and no later than six months.

Unfortunately for Ally, he can’t have his cake and eat it.

Jabulani Khumalo

The “rightful leader” of the MK party, Jabulani Khumalo, also made the list unfortunately at his own making.

Khumalo has unsuccessfully challenged former head of state, Jacob Zuma, to claim the throne of president of the country’s third-biggest political party.

Although he was the front man of the MK party when it emerged before the 29 May elections, Khumalo quickly realised he was just a decoy.

He was fired from the party in April, with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) recognising Zuma as the party leader.

READ MORE: Electoral Court dismisses expelled Khumalo’s MK party leader bid

Bizarre is that Khumalo himself admitted to sending a letter to the IEC, informing the commission that Zuma would become the “face” of that party.

In various court cases, he later attempted to argue that he could not be expelled from his own organisation.

All judges ruled otherwise.

Khumalo’s political ambitions appear to be dead at this stage unless he has a surprising ace up his sleeve.

P.S. That seems unlikely.

Renaldo Gouws

The last moemish maker of 2024 is former Democratic Alliance (DA) member, Renaldo Gouws, whose X bio at the time of publishing reads: “A South African who fuels his existence on sarcasm, facts, and common sense”.

A video and old social media posts of Gouws making racial comments, including the K-word, resurfaced after he was sworn in as a member of Parliament (MP) in June, leading to heavy criticism from the public and political parties.

Before Gouws decided to go the “ah, I’m sorry. I was young and immature” route, the former DA MP’s initial reaction to the backlash in a now-deleted post was: “yoh, I see I’m popular today” followed by blah blah B-BBEE is discriminatory, and “I am the problem for raising these uncomfortable truths”.

READ MORE: Renaldo Gouws no longer a DA MP: Here’s how much he is set to lose out on

Guess these are the “facts” and “common sense” he proudly believes in.

The cherry on the cake was the closing paragraph which partly read: “Please drink a Panado for the chest pains if a video from 16 years ago offended you”.

Gouws was, however, suspended by the DA a few days later.

His party membership was officially terminated in September following disciplinary proceedings.

Now he has lost his R1.27 million salary and all the other benefits that came with being an MP.

Perhaps he should take his own advice and have a Panado for the chest pains.