While you were sleeping: 25 February 2016

NWU burns, Trump soars, and Proteas struggle.

By John Stupart

25 Feb

"Compound interest is the most powerful force in the universe."

– Albert Einstein

Story of the Day

Budget 2016: Pravin Gordhan, the great unsaid and orchestral manoeuvres in the dark
This was a Budget that had the makings of a Hollywood thriller. The republic is under siege, the sentinel gets taken out in a scene of high drama and anguish, then the protagonist races to the rescue, beats down the bad guys and cuts the wire that halts the ticking clock and impending explosion. The question is, did Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan defuse the bomb or will the international credit ratings agencies still punish South Africa? But it was the backstory to the budget speech, what was said delicately and what was left unsaid, and some rather big moments in time at Budget 2016 that will define our political and economic fortunes. By RANJENI MUNUSAMY.

While you were sleeping

NWU campus closed indefinitely
Following clashes between students and security services on the North West University campus, the institution has closed 'indefinitely'. Images on Twitter showed several students bleeding profusely, as well as the complete burning down of an NWU building.
Read More

All bets are on Trump
The Orange Menace's victory in Nevada has done the impossible: improved his betting odds. Betting organisations that once ran Donald Trump's chances of winning the Republican primary at 200/1 are now offering odds of up to 1/2. As long as his contenders remain divided among the voting population, he can do no wrong.
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WFP airdrop faced 'difficulties'
The World Food Programme has conceded it had technical difficulties in airdropping over 20 tonnes of humanitarian aid. "Technical difficulties" in this case may mean that they accidentally just fed a very hungry group of ISIL troops holding a siege over Deir ez-Zor.
Read More

South Africa lose first ODI to West Indies
Deandra Dottin took five wickets for 34 runs to give the West Indies a close, 16-run victory over the Momentum Proteas at Buffalo Park Stadium in East London on Wednesday. The visitors go one-nil up in the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series.
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In Numbers

The suggested percentage by Wits University researchers for a 'sugar tax' announced by Pravin Gordhan. This would result in approximately 220,000 fewer obesity cases in South Africa.

Facts of the Day

Today in 1932 Adolf Hitler was naturalised as a German citizen. This made him eligible to run for president.

Fact of the day: Nelly sends two kids to university every year.

Weather & Financial Data

BFN: min: 19° max: 33°, cloudy
CPT: min: 17° max: 25°, sunny
DBN: min: 22° max: 39°, cloudy

EL: min: 22° max: 26°, rainy
JHB: min: 18° max: 30°, rainy
KIM: min: 22° max: 33°, cloudy
NLP: min: 18° max: 33°, rainy
PMB: min: 16° max: 36°, rainy
PKN: min: 19° max: 32°, rainy
PE: min: 19° max: 25°, rainy
PTA: min: 19° max: 31°, rainy

Oil=$34.39 Gold=$1,229.30 Platinum=$939.88
R/$=15.61 R/€=17.19 R/£=21.71$/€=1.09
JSE All Share=47,995.82 DJIA=16,410.45 FTSE 100=5,867.18 : Source

Now on Daily Maverick

FEATURED
Budget 2016: Pravin Gordhan, the great unsaid and orchestral manoeuvres in the dark
By RANJENI MUNUSAMY.

IEC's by-elections delay throws uncertainty over municipal elections
By STEPHEN GROOTES.

Budget 2016: No austerity, some tax increases, slash in expenditure, deficit down
By RANJENI MUNUSAMY and MARIANNE MERTEN.

Reactions to Budget 2016: Fairness & balance in tough times
By MARIANNE MERTEN.

Budget 2016: Gordhan puts state-owned companies on notice
By MARIANNE MERTEN and RANJENI MUNUSAMY.

'Tax me if you can': Tax activism of a different kind
By MARELISE VAN DER MERWE.

Maverick Interview: #ColourBlind
GREG NICOLSON speaks to Van der Walt.

Full text: Pravin Gordhan's 2016 Budget speech

OPINIONS
Stephen Grootes: Evil will not win in South Africa

Burundi: Time for Tough Messages
By the INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP.

Op-Ed: SARU desperately needs a forensic audit
By ANTOINETTE MULLER.

Lisa Vetten: The Budget 2016 and South Africa’s care economy

Mandla Lionel Isaacs: University decolonization: Why not build our own?

Elisha Kunene: Swart Gevaar Redux: The anatomy of fear and violence

Pierre de Vos: On arson, police violence and student protest in a constitutional democracy

South Africa

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