OCKHAM OBSERVER

An eye on the week ahead

SONA takes centre stage

All eyes are on President Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) taking place on Thursday evening at the Cape Town City Hall. He is expected to outline the Government of National Unity’s medium-term priorities and indicate progress on its resolution of policy differences, particularly on contentious issues like the National Health Insurance.

Monday 3 Feb
The 2025 Mining Indaba, themed “Future-Proofing African Mining, Today!”, opens in Cape Town, bringing together industry leaders, investors and policymakers. Keynote speakers include President Cyril Ramaphosa, Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber hosts a celebration in Sandton with the ‘Backlog Bomb Squad’ after clearing a visa and permitting backlog of over 306,000 applications dating back more than a decade. He will be joined by Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza and CEOs of FirstRand, Deloitte Africa and A2A Kopano.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio continues his first foreign trip to Central America (Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic). He is there to drive Trump’s “America First” agenda by “paying closer attention to our own neighbourhood”.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board meets in Geneva, with discussions expected to focus on the United States’ planned withdrawal from the organisation, its implications for global health funding, and ongoing WHO reforms.

Talks are expected to begin on the second phase of the Israel-Hamas agreement, aiming to secure the release of remaining Israeli hostages and facilitate an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Tuesday 4 Feb
Defence Minister Angie Motshekga briefs both parliamentary defence committees on the security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the status of SANDF deployments in the region.

The Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry and the Standing Committee on Finance meet with the banking sector to discuss competition, credit provision for productive activities and transformation.

The Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies discusses the G20’s impact on Africa, ICT sector priorities, and the status of international treaties and agreements.

The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture will engage Minister John Steenhuisen on progress regarding Onderstepoort Biological Products, food contamination investigations, regulatory measures, the separation of the Agriculture and Land Reform departments, and the Strategic Plan for Agriculture.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, the first visit by a foreign leader during President Trump’s second term. Discussions are expected to focus on the recent Gaza ceasefire and concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear activities.

Wednesday 5 Feb
The Select Committee on Economic Development and Trade receives a briefing from the Department on European Union import restrictions affecting South African citrus exports and progress on the ratification of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Thursday 6 Feb
President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers the State of the Nation Address (SONA) before a joint sitting of Parliament.

Statistics South Africa releases its report on electricity generated and available for distribution for December 2024. The data will provide insight into power generation trends and demand at the end of last year, before the resumption of load-shedding last week.

The Bank of England is expected to cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point. The UK’s base rate currently sits at 4.75%.

A US federal court in Seattle will consider an injunction against President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship.

New York Fashion Week kicks off, setting the tone for global fashion trends ahead of shows in London, Milan and Paris.

Friday 7 Feb
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) releases its Food Price Index for January 2025.

The Reserve Bank of India announces its monetary policy decision. Market expectations are leaning towards a 25 basis point rate cut, which would bring the repo rate down to 6.25%.

Saturday 8 Feb
The Boy Scouts of America officially rebrands as Scouting America on the occasion of its 115th anniversary.

The Patriots for Europe, a far-right European Union party, is holding a “Make Europe Great Again” rally in Madrid today. Key figures such as Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and France’s Marine Le Pen are expected to attend.

Sunday 9 Feb
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (Social Democratic Party) and opposition leader Friedrich Merz (Christian Democratic Union) are scheduled to participate in a televised debate ahead of the federal election on 23 February.

Swiss citizens vote on the ‘Environmental Responsibility Initiative’, which seeks to introduce ecological limits on the nation’s economic activities. Recent polls indicate the majority of voters are against it.

Elections take place in Ecuador, Kosovo, and Liechtenstein.

The Kansas City Chiefs will defend their title against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

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Ockham Communications relies on a range of sources to compile the Ockham Observer and cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies or omissions.

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