---
title: "While you were sleeping: 25 February 2016"
description: "NWU burns, Trump soars, and Proteas struggle."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "South Africa"
author: "John Stupart"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/johnstupart/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-25-while-you-were-sleeping-25-february-2016/"
published: "2016-02-25T06:00:32"
updated: "2016-02-25T06:01:31"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 687
---

# While you were sleeping: 25 February 2016

> NWU burns, Trump soars, and Proteas struggle.

By John Stupart · Published 25 February 2016, 08:00 SAST · Updated 25 February 2016, 08:01 SAST

## Content

| \| \\| *"Compound interest is the most powerful force in the universe."*  –**Albert Einstein** \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \| |
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| \| \\| # Story of the Day \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| ![Image](//gallery.mailchimp.com/6170d6a6d93cac57e83ba137f/images/b575d146-7466-49b4-a526-852abdfe0791.jpg) \\| \\| --- \\| \\| [Budget 2016: Pravin Gordhan, the great unsaid and orchestral manoeuvres in the dark](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-24-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](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-25-nwu-students-adviced-to-leave-campus-immediately) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **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. [Read More](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-25-trumps-surge-confounds-rivals-makes-him-betting-favorite) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **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](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-25-wfp-food-airdrop-faced-difficulties) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **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. [Read More](http://www.sacricketmag.com/windies-women-go-1-0/) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\|  \| \| --- \|\| \\| # In Numbers \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **20** \\| \\| --- \\|\\| 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°, cloudyEL: 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](http://emma.thewww.dailymaverick.co.za/servlet/link/3890/618590/129788333/3233800) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| # Now on Daily Maverick \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\|  \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \|\| \\| **FEATURED** [Budget 2016: Pravin Gordhan, the great unsaid and orchestral manoeuvres in the dark](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-24-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](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-24-iecs-by-elections-delay-throws-uncertainty-over-municipal-elections/) By STEPHEN GROOTES.[Budget 2016: No austerity, some tax increases, slash in expenditure, deficit down](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-24-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](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-25-reactions-to-budget-2016-fairness-balance-in-tough-times/) By MARIANNE MERTEN.[Budget 2016: Gordhan puts state-owned companies on notice](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-24-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](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-24-tax-me-if-you-can-tax-activism-of-a-different-kind/) By MARELISE VAN DER MERWE.[Maverick Interview: #ColourBlind](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-25-maverick-interview-colourblind/) GREG NICOLSON speaks to Van der Walt.[Full text: Pravin Gordhan's 2016 Budget speech](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-24-full-text-pravin-gordhans-2015-budget-speech/)**OPINIONS** [Stephen Grootes: Evil will not win in South Africa](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2016-02-25-evil-will-not-win-in-south-africa/)[Burundi: Time for Tough Messages](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-24-burundi-time-for-tough-messages/) By the INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP.   [Op-Ed: SARU desperately needs a forensic audit](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-25-op-ed-saru-desperately-needs-a-forensic-audit/) By ANTOINETTE MULLER.   [Lisa Vetten: The Budget 2016 and South Africa’s care economy](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2016-02-25-the-budget-2016-and-south-africas-care-economy/)   [Mandla Lionel Isaacs: University decolonization: Why not build our own?](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2016-02-25-university-decolonization-why-not-build-our-own/)   [Elisha Kunene: Swart Gevaar Redux: The anatomy of fear and violence](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2016-02-25-swart-gevaar-redux-the-anatomy-of-fear-and-violence/)   [Pierre de Vos: On arson, police violence and student protest in a constitutional democracy](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2016-02-25-on-arson-police-violence-and-student-protest-in-a-constitutional-democracy/) \\| \\| --- \\| \| \| --- \| |