Though 2015 is already well behind us, we pause for a second to recall our most important stories for the year.

The nationwide #FeesMustFall protests that shook South Africa to its very core were widely reported on; and of course there were some personal stories and shocking moments along the way.

In one video that went viral, a Stellenbosch University student gave Premier Helen Zille a piece of her mind in just three minutes. Our journalist, Linda Fekisi, got the story behind the ‘Do not touch me!’ viral video and spoke to the student, Chumani Mtshixa, who told Zille why she was outraged by the fee increment.

MOST READ SPOTLIGHT SECION: The student who ripped into Helen Zille

While there were a range of stories around the protests including the financial stress facing students, as well as issues around representation and the heavy-handed use of state violence against protestors, there were also student leaders, such as Trevor Shaku (University of the Free State), who came forward and wrote powerful pieces about the contentious issues of outsourcing, calling for an end to low wages and exploitation of workers.

MOST READ VOICES SECTION: Outsourcing and slave wages must go.

2016 kicked off with a flurry of racist tweets; the examples have become extensive and endless. But what are the implications for journalists and what is the responsibility of those in the profession when it comes to public postings?

MOST READ THE CRAFT: The PW Tweet and the ongoing fallout

We glanced back and brought you stories from the past, the heroes and activists that make up the current fabric of South Africa. From political activist, civic leader, opinion maker and businessman AWG Champion to larger than life figures like Mpilo Walter Benson Rubusana who was a writer, minister, activist and teacher; a man of many talents who lived a colourful public life.

MOST READ PIONEERS: A Rebel with a Cause: AWG Champion

Our arts section was jam packed with music festival reviews, online doccies that went viral and issues of the normalisation of violence against women in art. One of the most read stories was on Karin Kortje, who shot to fame after being the first black performer to win the top prize at South African idols- and her fall from grace and her rise again, after a dramatic turn of events.

MOST READ ARTS: Karin Kortje A farmworkers rise and fall and rise again

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