Julius Malema sues former ally over weight loss comments, and government department blew R5.8 million on travel

Today, 25 February, the rand is trading at R15.93 to the dollar, down from R16.01 at the close of business on Tuesday. 

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will table the 2026 Budget in Parliament today. The minister’s own party, the African National Congress (ANC), says it doesn’t expect him to retract any previous announcements to raise taxes this year. 

In 2025, the minister was forced to withdraw a planned value-added tax hike under pressure from parties within the Government of National Unity. He has said before that these tax hikes might still be necessary this year.

The Minister of Electricity and Energy, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, will also be in Parliament today, where the Portfolio Committee on Electricity will receive a briefing from the Minister and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) about tariff hikes. 

This comes after NERSA recently announced that Eskom had been granted permission to increase electricity prices. The planned increase of 5% to 6% over the next two years has been hiked to 9%.

In the Western Cape, Premier Alan Winde will deliver the 2026 State of the Province Address today. He is expected to outline goals and priorities for the province for the next several years.

Travellers at Cape Town International Airport have been advised to check their flight details today, after a fire broke out on Tuesday and temporarily halted all operations.

Here are five other big things happening in South Africa today:

One government department spent R5.8 million on travel – News24

The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, and his two deputies spent R5.8 million on 17 international trips between March and November 2025. This included a R1.6 million, 10-day trip to New York in March and visits to Ethiopia, France, Brazil, Cuba and Turkey.

New US Ambassador to South Africa changes his tune – Daily Maverick

The new US Ambassador, Leo Brent Bozell III, delivered his first public remarks in a “welcome” video shared by the US embassy. He was significantly more positive about South Africa-US relations than he had been during his confirmation hearings before the US Senate in October. 

Julius Malema takes former ally to court for commenting on his weight – TimesLive

Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, and his former friend Jossey Buthane will appear in court later this year. Malema launched a defamation suit against Buthane for suggesting he underwent gastric bypass surgery to lose weight in 2024. 

South African Post Office hikes prices – MyBroadband

The Post Office has announced price increases for 2026. This comes after the Business Rescue Practitioners working to rescue the Post Office were dealt a series of blows. A R3.8 billion bailout and the continued exclusivity on which the business rescue plan depended have been cancelled. 

South Africa experiencing 56 murders a day – Newsday

The latest crime statistics for the third quarter of 2025/2026 show that murder rates have decreased by 8.7%. However, this is still “unacceptably high” according to acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia.