The National Briefing

South Africa’s 2026 Budget, delivered by Enoch Godongwana in Cape Town, signals cautious optimism for the country’s finances. With economic growth forecast to reach about 2% by 2028 and public debt expected to stabilise in 2025/26 before declining thereafter, government has avoided major personal tax hikes while increasing spending on infrastructure and social services. Guest: Martin K...

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has warned municipalities to return to the core principle of fiscal integrity: revenue collected for essential services like water and electricity must first be reinvested in those services before being diverted elsewhere. Guest: Benoit Le Roy: co-founder of the SA Water Chamber from Cape Town   

26 February 2026 1.    Zimbabwe- Harare Zimbabwe bans all raw mineral exports with immediate effect Zimbabwe has imposed an immediate freeze on exports of all raw minerals and lithium concentrate, the mines ministry announced yesterday, tightening state control over resources critical to global clean-energy and defence industries. "Government expects cooperation of the mining i...

A senior judge of the Free State High Court, Mpina Mathebula, is standing trial on serious criminal charges linked to the alleged misappropriation of more than R3 million intended for a minor road accident victim. The case — now before the Kroonstad Specialised Commercial Crimes Court — has triggered parallel scrutiny from the Judicial Service Commission(JSC), raising profound question...

Nvidia delivers market beating Q4 earnings 2. Octodec sells Killarney mall 3. Market update  

Four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that Moscow has failed to “break Ukrainians” or achieve victory. Guest: Everisto Benyera: Professor of African Politics: UNISA     

Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, will table the 2026 Budget Speech in Parliament today, today, 25 February 2026. Equal Education Law Centre   says government must stop sacrificing education at the altar of austerity Guest: Daniel Peter Al-Naddaf: Legal Researcher, Equal Education Law Centre        

Communities in Coronationville and Westbury, west of Johannesburg, erupted in protest on Tuesday over prolonged and erratic water outages. Frustrated residents blocked major roads with burning tyres and stones, saying they are fed up with years of unreliable supply and what they describe as broken promises from government leaders, including Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero and Gauteng Premier Panyaz...

Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, will table the 2026 Budget Speech in Parliament today, today, 25 February 2026. With aspects of the National Health Insurance (NHI) on hold pending a Constitutional Court hearing, advocates warn that healthcare access cannot be suspended while long-term reforms remain  Guest: Linda Dunkley: Managing Director, at community development non-profit organisat...

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Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, will table the 2026 Budget Speech in Parliament today, today, 25 February 2026. What does this mean about municipal revenue, infrastructure funding and financial stability? Guest: Thabiso Ndebele: Revenue Consulting Managing Director at Ntiyiso Consulting 

Who’s to blame for Tongaat Hulett’s threatened collapse?  Guest: Robert Gumede: Shareholder of Vision Group (Tongaat Hulett's Business Rescue Practitioners)

Latest business news with Ntaoleng Lechela - Business Reporter US consumer confidence rises in February 2. ⁠ Meta inks AI chip deal with AMD 3. ⁠ Market update  

The Democratic Alliance announces Helen Zille as the 2026 City of Joburg Mayoral Candidate  Guest: Helen Zille: DA Federal Council Chair   

25 February 2026 1.    Ghana – Accra  Ghana renames Kotoka Airport, reigniting the military-led 1966 coup debate Ghana has renamed its main international airport, dropping the name of a military officer linked to the 1966 overthrow of the country’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah. This move has reignited old political and historical tensions. Emmanuel Kwasi Koto...

A diplomatic dispute has erupted between the United States and France after Charles Kushner, the US ambassador in Paris, failed to attend a formal summons from French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. Guest: Mr Itumeleng Makgetla: is a Political Analyst at the University of Pretoria   

Weak oil and chemicals prices weighs on Sasol 2. Walmart moves ahead with store rollout in South Africa, opens third location 3. Market update

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has uncovered what it describes as organised, systemic corruption within the Department of Home Affairs, involving the fraudulent issuing of asylum permits, visas and permanent residence documents over nearly two decades. Guest: Kaizer Kganyago: Spokesperson, Special Investigating Unit (SIU) 

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi faced immense pressure in his 2026 State of the Province Address (SOPA), with calls for decisive action on Gauteng’s deepening water crisis and entrenched corruption in public institutions. Guest: Prof Alex van den Heever: Social Security Systems Chair at the Wits School of Governance.   

The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Thamsanqa Ntuli, will lead a high-level multisectoral stakeholder engagement on 24 February 2026 to address rising tensions linked to the growing influx of undocumented foreign nationals in the province. Guest: Thamsanqa Ntuli: The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal   

Msunduzi Municipality has outlined the circumstances behind the prolonged water outage that disrupted key institutions in the Pietermaritzburg CBD, including the High Court and Deeds Office precinct. The Municipality claims that MK Party members employed by the Capital City Msunduzi Local Municipality in KZN are sabotaging infrastructure. Guest: Cllr Mzimkhulu Thebolla: Mayor of Msunduzi...

The People’s Bank of China stands pat on rates 2. FedEx sues US administration for tariff refund  3. Market update

The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Thamsanqa Ntuli, will lead a high-level multisectoral stakeholder engagement on 24 February 2026 to address rising tensions linked to the growing influx of undocumented foreign nationals in the province. Guest: Thamsanqa Ntuli: The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal 

On Friday, 27 February, the Business Rescue Practitioners and their lawyers will approach the High Court in Durban to request the provisional liquidation of Tongaat Hulett Limited (THL), the company that is a crucial backbone of the rural economy in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Guest: Sam Sole: Journalist and Managing Partner of the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism 

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