Hi there 🙋🏾‍♀️ In this week’s Wrap, we ask: Who gets to be called an Afrikaner? Plus, the Budget Speech didn’t happen for the first time since democracy began. We also dive into legal magic mushrooms (yes, legal), why Elon Musk might get booted from the Royal Society for spreading nonsense, and why AGOA isn’t something to panic about… yet. Speaking of things to maybe worry about, an asteroid could hit Earth in seven years—fingers crossed it misses. Oh, and the US and Russia? They’re suddenly looking a little too friendly. So, let’s dive into these stories and more in this week’s wrap, brought to you by Verashni Pillay and the explain.co.za team. 😄 —- *Format:* 💬 WhatsApp msg: Keep scrolling 🔊 Voice note by Verashni: https://soundcloud.com/explain-za/wrap-20-feb 📰 Newsletter with pics: https://createsend.com/t/d-7A0805C5B91BCBE22540EF23F30FEDED 🇳​🇪​🇼​🇸​ ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *1. BIG STORY: The 2% that postponed the entire Budget Speech* In a shock move yesterday, the country’s planned budget speech was postponed at the last minute – a first in SA. It will now take place on 12 March. The reason? GNU partners heard just hours before the speech that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana was planning a 2% VAT hike, taking the levy on everyday goods up to a whopping 17% – affecting the country’s poor disproportionately. Cue: A show of force from FF+ to the DA and Gayton Mckenzie’s Patriotic Alliance, meaning the budget would not be voted through in Parliament as the ANC relies on its coalition partners for a majority. Thankfully, the move didn’t completely upturn market and investor sentiment. Financial indicators from the rand to the JSE were stable, Investec noted. Maarten Ackerman, Chief Economist at Citadel Investment Services, told News24: “This unfortunate event is just a growing pain of a new era of power-sharing politics and by no means a crisis.” As the opposition parties behind the block noted, this was democracy in action. ActionSA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip noted the ANC has gotten used to: “preparing budgets… sticking them under the noses of parliamentarians and voting them in willy-nilly.” This was a good wake-up call, and it demonstrated the maturity of our political system. As Mckenzie said: “If the ANC controlled us as the GNU partners, we would have just passed the budget.” Indeed, the continued health of the GNU is the reason for our country’s improved financial outlook. In its latest review of SA, “S&P upgraded our credit outlook to positive thanks to the peaceful National Elections last year and the formation of the GNU,” Investec reported. You’ll remember the various credit rating downgrades that happened in the state capture years, putting us eventually in junk status. This increased our cost of borrowing, leaving us in the current crisis where our national debt is completely out of control. These political developments mean credit rating agencies are looking more favourably at us and will likely upgrade our ratings in time, meaning better interest rates. And that’s great news for a country that definitely cannot afford to impose a further VAT on its citizens. ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *2. ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: Stories that got social media talking* From Gayton McKenzie’s unexpected link-up to Musk’s latest fumble, here’s what got people buzzing on social media this week: 🔹 _”I can’t wait to see the expression on the asteroid’s face when it gets here and finds there are no more dinosaurs.”_ - @EmoPhilips Earlier this week, asteroid 2024 YR4 was flagged as the highest risk rating ever recorded, with a 3.1% chance of impact—enough to trigger a few bunker-buying thoughts. If it had hit, it could have flattened a city, with Bogotá, Lagos, and Mumbai in the possible blast zone. Thankfully, NASA has now dramatically lowered the impact risk. The latest calculations show a 98.5% chance it will miss us entirely on 22 December 2032. Phew! With new orbital data, the odds have dropped to just 1 in 67. While it still technically tops NASA’s risk list, scientists expect the probability to shrink further as they gather more observations. So you can put away that doomsday prep list—probably. 🔹 _“Lord Gayton McKenzie has disappointed all of us if we are being honest…😭💔 We got scammed here”_ - @Oracle5152 If you had "Gayton McKenzie linking up with AfriForum” on your 2025 bingo card, congratulations, you’re a prophet. Send us PowerBall numbers. The rest of South Africa, on the other hand, was shook when a picture showed the Sports, Arts and Culture Minister, who is also the leader of the Patriotic Alliance, cosying it up with AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel. Just when you thought things couldn’t get weirder, McKenzie also reportedly expressed admiration for US President Donald Trump during their meeting. But this isn’t a big surprise, considering the PA’s stance on immigration, with them consistently calling for foreign nationals to leave South Africa. 🔹 _“This is Luke Farritor. He is the 23 year old that fired the staff in charge of our nuclear arsenal. Don't worry. He completed an internship with Space X, I'm sure he is clearly qualified to determine whether our nuclear arms should be adequately staffed by qualified people.”_ - @3DMacD And finally, in international news, one of Elon Musk’s minions fired thousands of federal employees, including those at the National Nuclear Security Administration. They’re the people in charge of nuclear warheads, and now Musk and Co. are trying to rehire them. There’s just one little problem with that: Musk’s team has allegedly deleted and lost their email addresses and has no idea how to reach out to them – calling on their colleagues for help. You cannot make this stuff up! ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *BRIEFS:* *3. AGOA: Can SA survive without the US trade deal?* South Africa’s place in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) – which allows us to export goods to the US duty-free – has long been on shaky ground, with Trump leading the Republican’s misinformed attack against SA. Fresh developments on Tuesday saw four Republican congressmen send a letter to Trump, demanding we be kicked out of AGOA, saying we’re too cosy with Beijing and hostile toward Israel. The agreement is up for renewal in September this year. AGOA allows 32 African countries, including SA, to export goods to the US without tariffs, making our products cheaper and more competitive. Our biggest US exports are cars, metals, minerals, and fruit. But here’s the kicker: in 2022, avoided tariffs under AGOA were less than 1% of SA’s total exports to the US, according to sustainable development researcher Nick Hedley. So AGOA is not make-or-break—though industries like our already struggling automotive manufacturing would feel the sting. Neighbouring Botswana, Lesotho, and Zambia, who are also part of AGOA and rely on SA ports for trade, could also face higher costs if SA is punished. So should we be worried? Trump is threatening practically everyone - including Mexico and Canada - with tariffs, so we’re not alone. He hopes it’ll persuade Americans buying from abroad to support local instead or force foreign manufacturers to move to the US to avoid tariffs, creating jobs. However, as The Economist has noted, tariffs have not worked out that way for him previously – it’s the US economy that takes a knock. Also, buyers from the US may still choose to buy our goods and pay the penalty. And we’re not wholly reliant on the US. As Trump withdraws into an isolationist America, his country’s competitors like China are stepping up to fill the void: There’s the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which offers African countries investment, infrastructure, and trade deals with fewer strings attached. SA has already been strengthening ties with China, Russia, and BRICS, but relying too much on one partner comes with risks. The real priority? Fixing our economy, stabilising energy and infrastructure, and diversifying trade. 💪🏾 *4. Silencing a voice, but not a movement: Openly gay Imam shot dead* South Africa and the world are mourning the loss of Muhsin Hendricks, the trailblazing imam who fearlessly advocated for LGBTQ+ Muslims. Hendricks, widely recognised as the world's first openly gay imam, was gunned down in what appears to be a targeted hit in Gqeberha on Saturday. His death has sparked shock, grief, and growing fears about targeted violence against LGBTQ+ figures. 💔🏳️‍🌈 Hendricks was a man who pushed boundaries. The 57-year-old came out as gay in 1996 and dedicated his life to helping queer Muslims reconcile their faith and identity. He founded The Inner Circle and later the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation, creating safe spaces for those marginalised within their religious communities. His work, though inspiring to many, made him a pariah among traditional Islamic institutions. He was in Gqeberha to officiate interfaith heterosexual marriages when he was ambushed. CCTV footage shows a vehicle blocking his car before a hooded gunman fired multiple shots through the window. The brazen attack, in broad daylight, has left many questioning the motive—was this a hate crime, a professional hit, or something else entirely? Authorities are investigating, but no arrests have been made yet. While many religious leaders condemned the killing, some refused to acknowledge him as an imam, referring to him only as “Mr Hendricks.” Social media has been a battleground of grief and vitriol, with some celebrating his death—a disturbing reminder of the deep-rooted homophobia that still exists in parts of society despite South Africa being the first country In Africa to legally recognise LGBTQ+ marriage in 2006. But Hendricks' supporters are determined to carry on his legacy. Reverend Toni Kruger-Ayebazibwe, an openly gay Christian cleric, called his loss “massive,” adding that queer Muslims worldwide are heartbroken. Dr Fatima Essop, Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of the Western Cape, condemned the online hate, stating that “there is absolutely no justification, Islamic or otherwise, for this kind of violence.” Hendricks’ murder is a stark reminder that legal rights don’t always translate into lived realities. But as his supporters have vowed, his work is far from over. 🏳️‍🌈💪 *5. Trump’s Russian embrace leaves Europe shaken* Dear Ukraine… welcome to Trump’s misinformation hate train, love, South Africa. In just days, Trump has effectively scrapped Washington’s stance of isolating Russia, dialled up Russian President Vladimir Putin for a chat, and kicked Ukraine to the sidelines of peace talks about… well, Ukraine. This week, Trump bizarrely called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” and suggested he should hold elections – a demand straight out of Moscow’s playbook. He also claimed Ukraine had started the war and accused Zelenskyy of keeping the conflict going to milk US aid. The problem? None of it’s true. For context: Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, which legally prevents elections. And let’s be clear—Russia started this war by invading, not the other way around. But facts have never stood in the way of a good Trump rant. Trump’s latest strategy appears to involve pressuring Ukraine into making territorial concessions to end the war. He hinted that Kyiv should have "cut a deal" years ago, implying that giving up land could have prevented the conflict altogether. In reality, this is exactly what Russia wants—a forced redrawing of borders, legitimising its invasion. The fallout has been swift. Zelenskyy fired back, accusing Trump of parroting Russian disinformation. The Ukrainian President has flatly rejected any peace deal that requires giving up sovereignty, arguing that it would reward Russian aggression and set a dangerous precedent. European leaders are alarmed, with Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, stating, “It is simply wrong and dangerous to deny President Zelenskyy democratic legitimacy.” Meanwhile, Trump’s team insists he’s working on a peace deal, but critics fear his approach is more “give Putin what he wants” than “negotiate a fair settlement.” Case in point: the US and Russia just held talks in Saudi Arabia about Ukraine—without Ukraine or Europe at the table. The concern in Europe is that Trump’s strategy will leave Ukraine exposed and Putin emboldened – putting the continent at risk. For now, Ukraine is holding firm, refusing to be pressured into concessions. But with America’s stance shifting, Europe is scrambling to figure out its next move. *6. Could mushrooms be the next weapon against TB?* Mushrooms: they’re not just for pizza toppings! A South African researcher has discovered that certain fungi might help fight tuberculosis (TB), a disease that remains one of the top 10 natural causes of death in the country, according to Stats SA. Jenske Didloff, who recently earned her PhD in Microbiology from Nelson Mandela University, investigated the antimicrobial potential of mushrooms, specifically _Gymnopilus junonius_ (aka orange tuft) and _Rhodofomitopsis lilacinogilva_ (aka lilac-shelf fungus).🔬🦠 Her findings? A compound called gymnopilene, found in orange tuft mushrooms, significantly slowed TB bacteria growth by damaging its cell walls. This is a big deal because TB is becoming harder to treat. The bacteria responsible for the disease are developing resistance to current drugs, and co-infections with HIV make treatment even more complex. South Africa has one of the highest TB burdens globally, with 270,000 people falling ill in 2023—13,000 of them with drug-resistant TB, according to the World Health Organization. While mushrooms have been used in traditional medicine, their TB-fighting potential hasn’t been widely explored. But before we all start hoarding these mushrooms, Didloff warns that there’s still a long road ahead. More research is needed to confirm _gymnopilene’s_ effectiveness, and a grant application is in the works to fund the next steps. Could mushrooms be the unexpected heroes in the fight against TB? Time (and science) will tell! 🍄⚡ *7. Elon Musk vs The Royal Society: Will science ghost him?* Elon Musk is many things—tech mogul, space cowboy, and meme enthusiast. But a scientific pariah? Britain’s 365-year-old Royal Society is considering kicking him out of its prestigious fellowship. The reason? His penchant for conspiracy theories and misinformation, which thousands of scientists say violate the Society’s code of conduct. At the heart of the drama is an open letter penned by Emeritus Professor Stephen Curry from Imperial College London. In it, he blasts the Royal Society for not taking action against Musk, stating their silence “increasingly looks like a failure of moral courage”. Musk was inducted into the fellowship in 2018 for his work on Tesla and SpaceX. Since then, Musk has veered from launching rockets to launching Twitter (sorry, X) tirades. Professor Curry’s letter noted Musk's peddling of conspiracy theories and personal attacks against fellows in the Royal Society, including Dr Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to the US president from 2021 to 2022. More than 2,400 scientists have co-signed Curry’s letter, urging the Society to disassociate itself from Musk following his new gig in Trump’s administration. Under Musk’s leadership, the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE—because of course it’s called that) has been accused of “impos[ing] huge cuts in funding and a regime of censorship,” particularly referring to climate science, according to Curry. The Royal Society, which has counted Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Albert Einstein among its fellows, has so far kept its stiff upper lip. But the pressure is mounting, with resignations from prominent members like Oxford’s Professor Dorothy Bishop, who called Musk a “Bond villain” and left the Royal Society in protest. Now, Sir Adrian Smith, president of the Royal Society, has called a meeting for 3 March to discuss the “public pronouncements and behaviours of fellows.” Translation: Will they actually expel Musk or just tut disapprovingly over tea? Expelling Musk would be a historic move—the last time a fellow was booted out was over 150 years ago, and that was for fraud. But keeping him on risks turning the Society into yet another casualty of the culture wars. *8. Who gets to be an Afrikaner? Trump’s refugee offer sparks debate* Over the weekend, a group of white South Africans—mostly Afrikaners—gathered outside the US Embassy in Pretoria, cheering on Trump’s executive order offering them refugee status in the US. The rally in Pretoria was meant to say “thank you” to the US president, with protesters waving signs that read "Make South Africa Great Again" and "Recognise the White Nation like Israel was recognised” (yes, that’s a real sign). Afrikaner nationalist Willem Petzer claimed over 3,000 people attended (the actual number was around half of that). Petzer, who has a history of, let’s say, controversial online takes, handed over a petition to the US Embassy. The embassy later confirmed it would pass it on to Washington. But not all Afrikaners are buying into this. Major organisations like AfriForum and Solidarity—who have spent years pushing back against government land policies—have rejected Trump’s refugee offer. And while some Afrikaners claim they are being systematically persecuted, the numbers tell a different story. White South Africans—who make up less than 8% of the population—still own the majority of private farming land (72% compared to 5% owned by black South Africans), enjoy far lower unemployment (7.9%) than black South Africans (37.6%), and have an outsized share of wealth and influence. That hasn’t stopped some Afrikaners from pushing a victimhood narrative, arguing that they are being systematically erased. Others, like supporters of Solidarity and Afriforum, argue that while government policies may be flawed, running to Trump isn’t the answer. This whole saga has reignited a bigger question: What does it mean to be an Afrikaner today? In the years since apartheid ended, the community has evolved. Many have embraced a non-racial South Africa, while others—like Petzer’s crowd—have doubled down on ethnic nationalism. But even among those who reject Petzer’s brand of politics, there’s an ongoing tug-of-war over identity. Is being an Afrikaner about culture, language, or race? Can black or coloured Afrikaans speakers be Afrikaners? And is the community willing to move forward in South Africa, or is it stuck looking back? —----------- That’s it from us at The Wrap, an award-winning product of explain.co.za - simple news summaries for busy people. 💁🏾‍♀ The Wrap is sponsored by explain’s agency division. We specialise in content marketing for purpose-driven organisations, often with a pan-African reach. Mail [email protected] for a quote. 🇸​🇺​🇧​🇸​🇨​🇷​🇮​🇧​🇪​ Remember to share the love. 💫 Tell your friends to sign up: 📩 Email: http://explain.co.za/subscribe 📲 Our new WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vac06yM8kyyLmOulb80J _Till next time, goodbye from the team_ ✌🏽