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“Bombshell” Geza sparks Zimbabwe succession battle as he goes into hiding and is expelled from ruling party. Concerns of military coup arise as armored tanks seen in Harare, but government clarifies it’s a routine exercise. President Mnangagwa faces criticism from Zanu-PF party, evoking memories of past coup.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber aims to replace Green ID books with Smart IDs in South Africa by 2025. Plans include wider availability through bank branches to impact the 2026 elections and combat fraud.
During the trial of missing Joshlin Smith, teacher Edna Maart testified that Joshlin’s mother, Racquel Smith, received a call from a Nigerian man claiming the child was en route to West Africa. The trial, which began on 3 March 2025, involves charges of kidnapping and human trafficking against Kelly, her boyfriend, and a friend. Joshlin went missing on 19 February 2024 from Middelpos settlement.
Finance Minister Godongwana delivered the 2025 National Budget Speech, addressing economic status, debt servicing costs, VAT and sin tax increases, and social relief grants. VAT to increase by 1% over two years, while personal income tax brackets and medical aid tax credits remain unchanged. Despite past sluggish growth, economy projected to grow at 1.8% from 2025 to 2027.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced a phased VAT increase of 1 percentage point over two years in his Budget Speech. The proposal includes a 0.5 percentage point rise from the current 15% on 1 May 2025 and another increase in 2026. Social grants will also see increases, with the SRD grant extended until March 2026 and restructured into a permanent basic income support mechanism.
Excise duties on alcohol and tobacco products in South Africa have increased. Prices for various products have gone up, including malt beer, wine, spirits, cigarettes, and tobacco. Yusuf Abramjee of Tax Justice SA criticized the move, saying honest citizens are unfairly penalized while criminals go unpunished.
Motorists and visitors heading to V&A Waterfront on Wednesday should expect traffic disruptions due to the arrival of two major cruise ships, MSC Musica and Norwegian Dawn. Over 5,000 passengers are expected to disembark, causing congestion from 7am to 7pm. Additional traffic marshals will be deployed to help manage the flow of vehicles. Authorities advise planning routes ahead and considering alternate transport options.
The V&A Waterfront, owned by Growthpoint Properties, is thriving with a surge in international and domestic tourists. The mixed-use precinct in Cape Town has exceeded expectations in the first half of 2024, contributing to Growthpoint’s success as one of South Africa’s largest real estate investment trusts.
Lloyd’s of London faces $2.3 billion financial hit from Los Angeles wildfires in January. Impact on 2025 results still being assessed. Fires burned for three weeks, causing evacuations and destroying structures in Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and Altadena. AccuWeather estimates total damage at $250-275 billion. Lloyd’s of London reports pre-tax profits of $11.4 billion for 2024.
Woolworths expects to resolve supply issues soon after disruptions left some stores short of fresh produce and meat. The retailer cites supplier problems and heavy rains affecting key agricultural regions. Empty shelves in vegetable and meat sections gained attention. Woolworths apologizes and is working on sourcing products from other regions to improve the situation within a week.
