2015 in South Africa saw a number of social and political protests and movements form. At President Jacob Zuma's 2015 State of the Nation Address, the president was interrupted by an opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, who demanded that he pay back the money used on his Nkandla homestead. South Africa also saw new xenophobic uprisings taking place, mainly targeted towards Africans from other countries. Foreigners were beaten, robbed and murdered during the attacks. The social protest Rhodes Must Fall started in 2015 at the University of Cape Town to protest for the removal of statues erected in South Africa during the colonial era depicting some of the well known colonists who settled in South Africa. In education, South Africa recorded a drop in its matric pass rate from 2013 to 2014. The protest #FeesMustFall was started towards the end of the year and achieved its primary goal of stopping an increase in university fees for 2016. South Africa also saw the discovery of Homo naledi in 2015. The South African national rugby union team came third in the 2015 Rugby World Cup and Trevor Noah started hosting The Daily Show on Comedy Central.
21 –The shooting of a 14-year-old boy by a foreign national in Soweto spurs widespread unrest and looting of foreign-owned shops in the area, leading to a resurgence of xenophobic violence in the country.[3]
12 – President Jacob Zuma delivers his eighth State of the Nation Address amid several controversies, including the forced removal of Economic Freedom Fighters MPs by alleged Public Order Police,[5] the jamming of cellphone signals,[6] and the arrest of Democratic Alliance members protesting outside the Houses of Parliament.[7]
24 – The country sees another resurgence of xenophobic violence after a statement by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini calling for foreigners residing in South Africa to "pack their belongings and go". Zwelithini later retracts his statements, saying that his comments were misunderstood, and calls for a halt to the violence.[12]
15 – While attending an African Union meeting in South Africa, Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir is prohibited from leaving the country while a court decides whether he should be handed over to the International Criminal Court for war crimes.[17] Bashir is, however, allowed to leave South Africa soon afterward.[18]
26 – The Commission of Inquiry's report regarding the killing of 41 mineworkers by South African Police at Marikana is released by President Jacob Zuma, exonerating several political figures formerly accused of playing a role in the massacre, including Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, but calling into question Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega's fitness to hold office.[19]
July
6 – It is reported that a fleet of 13 trains purchased by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) at a cost of R600-million could pose a "significant safety hazard" to South African commuters as they are allegedly too high for local rail lines.[20] The ensuing controversy results in an inquiry into the academic qualifications of one of Prasa's senior engineers, as well as the dismissal of the company's chief executive, Lucky Montana.[21]
17 – More than 100 people are injured after two trains collide near the Booysens Train Station in Johannesburg.[22][23]
19 – The South African national rugby team suffers a historic 32-34 loss to Japan at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, in what has been called the "greatest upset in World Cup history".[26] The Springboks later go on to beat Argentina and achieve an overall third place in the World Cup.[27]
29 – The 2015 crime statistics, presented in Parliament by police commissioner Riah Phiyega and minister Nathi Nhleko, indicate an increase in the rate of murder and violent crime in the country.[30]
October
14
National Police Commissioner, Riah Phiyega is suspended after an inquiry into her fitness to hold office.[31]
A temporary bridge collapses over the M1 motorway in Johannesburg near Sandton, killing two people and injuring twenty.[32]
Student protests erupt at the University of Witwatersrand after it is announced that university fees would be raised by 10.5%. Similar protests later spread to universities across the country, including the University of Cape Town and Rhodes University.[33]
21 – The #FeesMustFall protests gain momentum countrywide, culminating in a march of 5000 students to the South African Parliament. Riot police move to forcefully disperse the largely peaceful protests using stun grenades, tasers, coloured gas, riot shields and truncheons.[34] Two days later, President Jacob Zuma announces that university fees will not increase in 2016; despite this, protests regarding the lack of transformation at tertiary institutions continue across the country.[35]
November
15–ongoing – Severe drought caused by the El Nino climatological phenomenon, hits five of South Africa's nine provinces, placing strain on the country's water supply and affecting around 2.7 million households.[36]
8 March – Colonel H.W. "Bees" Marais (71), experienced helicopter pilot, dies during a forced landing while water-bombing fires at Olifantsbos near Cape Point.[48]
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