Some of the Best South African (and African) Quotes of 2015

From the real to the surreal (especially for Trevor Noah), here are some of the quotes of the year, from South Africans (and Africans) around the world, that made it into a list from the BBC. Plus, we have added some others worth mentioning.

“This is surreal for me, I’m not going to lie, growing up in the dusty streets of South Africa, I never dreamed that I would one day have two things really: An indoor toilet and a job as host of the Daily Show. – Trevor Noah on taking over the Daily Show from Jon Stewart.

“It’s not over until it’s over.” – Public Protector Thuli Madonsela after  President Jacob Zuma refused to abide by her decision to pay back the money for unfairly profiting from work done on his home at Nkandla. 

“Thank God the people involved in crafting our constitution anticipated that even the most benevolent of politicians may allow self-interest, or through their mistakes could get off track.” – Madonsela.

“Welcome back, baby.” – Billionaire Elon Musk at the moment his SpaceX rocket Falcon 9 made an unprecedented and gentle touchdown on earth near Cape Canaveral in Florida in December.

“The time for vision has come. I request our South African government to help us clean our land of lice. We need to remove all itching bedbugs and lay them bare in the sun….  We request that all foreigners should take their baggage and be sent back.” – King Goodwill Zwelithini, who denied that his comments in March fuelled xenophobic violence in South Africa.

“A court is the guardian of justice, the cornerstone of a democratic system based on the rule of law. If the state  does not abide by court orders, the democratic edifice will crumble stone-by-stone until it collapses and chaos ensues” – Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo after the South African government allowed Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir to leave the country in June despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.

“When Mandela returned from prison he got separated with Winnie Mandela and went to stay in a house of the rich white men… He was looked after by the Oppenheimers. Nelson Mandela used to attend the club meetings of those white men who owned the South African economy at the time. That’s when he turned against himself.” – Julius Malema addressing the Oxford Union in November.

“The way to treat a boil is to squeeze it out, and I have made it my responsibility to do that. I know squeezing out a boil hurts but unfortunately there are no two ways about it.” – Newly elected Tanzanian President John Magufuli addresses parliament about cleaning up corruption.

“It is so shameful that we are spending huge amounts of money to celebrate 54 years of independence when our people are dying of cholera.” – Magufuli announces that instead of Independence Day celebrations, he will be joining others to help clean up the country’s streets.

“We announce that our membership figures stood at seven hundred and sixty nine eight hundred and seven hundred, listen properly, seven hundred and sixty nine thousand eight hundred and twenty (clears throat, does small dance) and seventy … members down from one hundred, one hundred and twenty two million in 2012.” President Jacob Zuma giving ANC membership figures in October at the party’s National General Council in Durban.

More quotes from Africa this year here.