Reflection of the most significant news and current events in South Africa and globally that shaped and defined the political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, ecological and legal business environment and landscape

1. 2015 IN REFLECTION – GLOBALLY
REVIEW OF SIGNIFICANT, GLOBAL NEWS EVENTS
RESEARCHED AND DEVELOPED BY: CHARLES COTTER

2. Pres. Obama decides to reverse course & keep U.S combat
troops in Afghanistan

3. Pres. Obama decides to reverse course & keep U.S combat
troops in Afghanistan

4. Accusations of U.S military abuse of
power

5. The Trans-Pacific Partnership finally gets
done

6. Escalating tensions in the West Bank &
Jerusalem

7. Escalating tensions in the West Bank &
Jerusalem

8. Debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight
370 found on Reunion Island

9. China decides to abandon a 1-child policy in favour
of a 2-child policy

10. The world strikes a deal on climate
change

11. The world strikes a deal on climate
change

12. Russia intervenes in Syria

13. Longest reigning British monarch in
history: Queen Elizabeth II

14. Ongoing peace negotiations in
Colombia

15. Elon Musk’s quest to Mars (SpaceX)

16. Elon Musk’s quest to Mars (SpaceX)

17. The Saudi’s intervene in Yemen

18. China builds islands in the South China
Sea

19. Virtual reality makes a comeback

20. Masdar: world's 1st fully sustainable, zero-
carbon, zero-waste city

21. Masdar: world's 1st fully sustainable, zero-
carbon, zero-waste city

22. Arrests of senior FIFA officials
regarding SWC 2010 corruption

23. China devalues the Renminbi amid an
economic slowdown

24. Personal biometric scanners for online
banking

25. Windows 10 is released by Microsoft

26. Global economic recovery remains
slow

27. Electric car ownership reaches 1 million
worldwide

28. The EU rebuffs Greece’s demand for
austerity relief

29. Negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program
produce a deal

30. Deadline for the 8 U.N Millennium
Development Goals (MDG)

31. Deadline for the 8 U.N Millennium
Development Goals (MDG)

32. MDG (The $100 laptop project)

33. ISIS terrorists strike on 3 continents

34. ISIS terrorists strike on 3 continents

35. Refugee crisis plagues Europe

36. Refugee crisis plagues Europe

37. 2015 IN REFLECTION – LOCALLY
REVIEW OF SIGNIFICANT, LOCAL NEWS
EVENTS
RESEARCHED AND DEVELOPED BY: CHARLES COTTER

38. #FEESMUSTFALL

39. #FEESMUSTFALL

40. 2015 Matric pass rate drops to 70.7%

41. #RhodesMustFall protests & country-
wide defacing of monuments

42. Xenophobic attacks against foreigners in
S.A

43. Trade dispute between S.A & U.S.A
(African Growth & Opportunity Act)

44. “PAY BACK THE MONEY!” - chaos in
S.A Parliament

45. Environmentalists clamp down on rhino
poaching & other endangered species

46. Construction & property development
boom

47. #ZumaMustFall country-wide protest
marches

48. Lee Berger discovers Homo Naledi

49. D.A elects Mmusi Maimane as its 1st black
leader to broaden party's appeal

50. Oscar Pistorius released early to house
arrest …..

51. ….then found guilty of murder by SCA

52. SAPS commissioner, Riah Phiyega is suspended for SAPS
misconduct in the 2012 killing of 34 striking miners

53. Marikana report issued on 2012 killing of 34 striking
miners, fingering SAPS failure to restrain its officers

54. S.A rand hits all-time low against the U.S
dollar

55. Fitch downgrades 4 S.A banks

56. Danny Jordaan & Molefi Oliphant accused of involvement in
payment of $10m bribe (SWC 2010 bid)

57. S.A authorities allow Sudanese Pres. Omar Hassan al-Bashir
to fly home after AU Summit

58. BMW launches i3 electric car in S.A –
it’s 1st plug-in hybrid

59. Trevor Noah succeeds Jon Stewart as the host of The
Daily Show

60. Hottest recorded temperatures….

61. …..and drought conditions in S.A &
required emergency relief

62. Clinical trial finds ARV drug, Truvada protected 76% of
young, S.A women from contracting HIV

63. Pres. Jacob Zuma appoints David van Rooyen
as Finance Minister…….

64. ….and then re-appoints Pravin
Gordhan as Finance Minister

65. REFLECTIONS 2015 – LESSONS
LEARNED GLOBALLY AND LOCALLY?
• Chaos Theory
• We live in a confusing and conflicted world
• We live in a troubled, turbulent and often traumatic world
• Through education we need to create enlightenment – those light-
bulb moments – and clarity of thought
• Through education we need to “untangle” the chaos and create
empowered South Africans who can contribute to the local and
global economy
• Are you up to this mammoth challenge?

66. CONCLUSION
• Key points
• Summary
• Questions

67. RESEARCH SOURCES OF NEWS
EVENTS
• http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archiv
e/2015/12/world-events-news-2015/421545/
(accessed 19 January 2016)
• http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/internation
al/countriesandterritories/southafrica/index.html
(accessed 19 January 2016)
• http://www.futuretimeline.net/21stcentury/2015
.htm#.VqD_yfl97IV (accessed 19 January 2016)

68. CONTACT DETAILS
• Charles Cotter
• (+27) 84 562 9446
• charlescot@polka.co.za
• LinkedIn
• Twitter: Charles_Cotter
• http://www.slideshare.net/CharlesCotter