This might be the year the national treasury receives more than two thousand budget tips.
- Budget speech to be delivered on February 25, 2026.
- Students raise funding, infrastructure, and security concerns.
- February 16, 2026, is the closing day to submit tips.
Some university students are eagerly welcoming the Minister of Finance’s call to send budget tips ahead of the second budget speech under the Government of National Unity (GNU), scheduled to be delivered on February 25, 2026.
According to the Parliamentary Monitoring Group, the invitation to send through budget tips began in 1999 under former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel. An effort to get civil society to actively participate in matters of national importance.
Since its inception, citizens’ participation has been limited. In 2023 minister’s office received over 2000 responses. Before and after that, the responses were fewer than a thousand.
Even though the Wits SRC Treasurer General, Somwabo Mhlahlo (22) believes this is one of those things the government does to tick a box, he is determined to contribute to the conversation.
Mhlahlo’s biggest concern is that many students previously funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) are unable to register for the 2026 academic year.
“They have outstanding fees and cannot proceed with their studies because of the NSFAS cap on accommodation, it is the government’s responsibility to settle that debt,” he said. NSFAS currently caps accommodation allowance at R55,000 while residences on campus are currently charging between R55,685- R117,962.
For Sanele Segutya (23), a post-graduate student in Public Management, who spent three weeks in a public hospital in Cape Town due to a leg injury, resource allocation on public health services is most important. To offer services that are almost similar to those offered in private hospitals.
“The fact that I was in a hospital in itself is a privilege. My observations may have been surface level, but the nurses seemed frustrated all the time. At some point they had to discharge patients early because of a shortage of beds,” said Segutya.
Another student who is drafting a tip is eighteen-year-old Tsenolo Dampies, first-year student in Computational and Applied Mathematics. Dampies’ focus is infrastructure and security. “We need more cameras in crime hotspots, and more police stations where people can report crime as we all know that crime is on a rise in South Africa,” he said.
Witsies are using this chance to play a part in building the nation they dream of living in. If you were unaware that you have this power, you are being urged to click on this link, in no more than 300 words, state how you want your government to allocate funds, by no later than Monday February 16, 2026.
FEATURED IMAGE: Image showing South African Rands. Photo: Lulah Mapiye
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