At first glance, Ibiwisi appears to be a word from one of South Africa’s many indigenous languages – but, alas, it is not. The origin of the word itself is a mystery.

Ibiwisi is actually an acronym for ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’, and is my favourite acronym for 2018. An aside: the Oxford Dictionary’s 2018 Word of the Year, which supposedly “reflects the ethos, mood or preoccupations of the passing year”, is ‘toxic’, which first appeared in the English language in the middle of the seventeenth century from the medieval Latin toxicus. The Pan South African Language Board’s (PanSALB’s) 2018 Word of the Year is ‘land expropriation without compensation’ (actually, it is a four-word phrase). The board’s 2017 Word of the Year is ‘State capture’ (well, a phrase again), while the Oxford Dictionary’s was ‘youthquake’.

Without making mention of ‘youthquake’, the other words would paint a picture of international pessimism, which would have been misplaced. The worrying part for South Africa, though, is that pessimism seems to persist. It is no longer just a perception but, most unfortunately, reality. As I ponder what South Africa is, what it has become, I also wonder how different the country looked 31 536 000 seconds ago. That is a year ago.

So, how different has South Africa become? I could cite news headlines from last year and trick you into thinking that they were from this year. To borrow French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr’s immortal words, “the more things change, the more they remain the same”.

A year ago, on December 5, 2017, the price of Steinhoff International’s shares crashed in what has since been described as possibly the biggest case of corporate fraud in South African business history. As the traditional proverb holds, the wheels of justice turn slowly – there is no question about that, but what needs to be asked is whether they will grind ‘exceedingly fine’. Only time will tell, but many would contend that we should not hold our collective breath. Will the leadership and management, as a collective, be held accountable for their actions? Well, Ibiwisi.

A reflection on ‘State capture’ – it was also top of mind towards the end of 2017 and, in 2018, four commissions of inquiry were set up to deal with the phenomenon: the State Capture Commission of Inquiry headed by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, the South African Revenue Service Commission of Inquiry, the Public Investment Corporation Commission of Inquiry and the National Prosecuting Authority Inquiry. Well, if anything, another commission would not make a welcome Christmas gift.

So, for how long will the wheels of justice turn? The North Gauteng High Court, in Pretoria, recently ruled that the State Capture Commission of Inquiry has until March 2020 to complete its work, which will be well after next year’s national elections. Will the commission complete its work, and will anyone be held accountable? Well, Ibiwisi.

But, alas, this discussion would not be complete without special mention of State-owned enterprises (SOEs). They have had another year of escalating debt and public bail-outs or (if this cushions the blow) loans that cannot realistically be expected to be repaid. Associated with SOEs, although some might take exception to this, is irregular expenditure. Oh, when will ‘irregular expenditure’ be PanSALB’s South African Word of the Year? It must surely be a very strong contender. Somehow, those responsible for irregular expenditure have escaped an inquiry or commission, although they are known. Why is that? Will a commission ever be established or corrective action taken? Well, Ibiwisi.

As I end another column for another year, do you want to hazard a guess as to what also hogged the headlines in December 2017? Load-shedding, of course, brought to you by the Electricity Supply Commission. Yes, commission! Some irony in that, right? The Electricity Supply Commission is better known by its acronym, Eskom.

Lights out for another year, but do remember that yesterday’s headlines might well be today’s headlines.

My new year’s wish for South Africa is for its wheels of justice to speed up and to grind exceedingly fine.