Migration tops the domestic and global agenda as Bafana Bafana kick off the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City.
Monday 8 June
Immigration is set to dominate this week following President Ramaphosa’s televised address to the nation on Sunday evening. The President announced measures to tackle illegal immigration, strengthen border security and crack down on employers who hire undocumented migrants, while warning against xenophobia and vigilantism.
A group of 150 Malawian nationals displaced during recent unrest in Mossel Bay are expected to arrive in Malawi under a voluntary repatriation programme coordinated by the Malawian government and its High Commission in South Africa.
Four foreign nationals are due to appear in the Booysens Magistrates’ Court in Johannesburg on fraud charges after allegedly using ancestral rituals to convince a South African woman that her money could be multiplied.
RISE Mzansi Leader Songezo Zibi briefs the media on the Phala Phala Impeachment Committee, the party’s work in SCOPA, the Gauteng Government of Provincial Unity, and its Johannesburg mayoral campaign.
The Khampepe Commission resumes hearings into alleged interference in the investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era cases referred by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Pope Leo XIV addresses Spain’s Congress during the first papal visit to Spain since 2011.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visits North Korea for talks with Kim Jong Un, his first trip to Pyongyang since 2019. The visit comes as North Korea deepens military cooperation with Russia and expands its weapons programmes.
London Tech Week opens in the UK capital, bringing together technology leaders, investors and policymakers for discussions on artificial intelligence, digital transformation and emerging technologies.
Serena Williams returns to competitive tennis at the Queen’s Club Championships in London after an absence of almost four years.
Tuesday 9 June
Statistics South Africa releases the latest Gross Domestic Product figures for Q1 2026.
Parliament’s Rules Committee considers proposed rules for a section 89 inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala scandal, with disagreement over whether MPs on the committee should be required to be “fit and proper”.
The National Assembly considers a report on South African National Defence Force deployments along the South Africa-Zimbabwe border following parliamentary oversight visits.
Also in Parliament:
- The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services receives a briefing on parole supervision, absconders and measures to strengthen offender tracking. This follows a public disagreement on the topic last week between DA Leader Geordin Hill-Lewis and Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald.
- The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture receives an update on the Department of Agriculture’s foot-and-mouth disease vaccination drive.
- The Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition meets ministers, Transnet and National Treasury to discuss barriers to the development of the Atlantis Special Economic Zone and Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone.
- The Standing Committee on Public Accounts holds a hearing on the City of Johannesburg’s audit outcomes and ongoing Special Investigating Unit investigations into the City.
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen and his Italian counterpart Francesco Lollobrigida open the inaugural South Africa-Italy Agriculture Business Forum in Cape Town.
DA Leader Geordin Hill-Lewis leads a delegation to meet King Misuzulu kaZwelithini at the eMashobeni Royal Palace in Pongola.
The Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Forum opens in Washington, with US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and other policymakers joining industry leaders for discussions on energy security, markets and investment.
US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott discusses border security and immigration enforcement as the Trump administration continues its crackdown on illegal immigration.
Wednesday 10 June
Ministers in the social services cluster answer questions in the National Assembly on various topics including a R15 billion antiretroviral tender, failures at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and Johannesburg’s water losses from leaks and broken bulk meters.
Also in Parliament:
- Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy and the Road Traffic Management Corporation brief the Portfolio Committee on Transport on the Easter road safety statistics.
- The Portfolio Committee on Police continues its engagement with the SA Police Service and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate on their investigations into Phala Phala.
- The Standing Committee on Public Accounts holds follow-up engagements with the City of Mangaung and the City of Ekurhuleni on their audit outcomes.
The South African Reserve Bank releases its June Financial Stability Review, an assessment of risks to the country’s financial system.
A municipal by-election takes place in the Swartland Local Municipality in the Western Cape.
Thursday 11 June
The FIFA 2026 World Cup opens in Mexico City, where hosts Mexico face Bafana Bafana at the Estadio Azteca, with an opening ceremony featuring South African global pop sensation Tyla.
Pope Leo XIV visits the Canary Islands, where he meets migrants and aid workers in a region that has become a major gateway for migration from Africa to Europe.
UK MPs debate the legacy of Jo Cox, 10 years after the Labour MP was murdered during the Brexit referendum campaign. Cox is remembered for her call for unity over division.
Friday 12 June
Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s allegations of corruption in the criminal justice system is expected to deliver its report to the National Assembly.
Also in Parliament:
- The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education hears a presentation from the Right to Read Campaign on youth literacy.
- The Portfolio Committees on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs is briefed by the Electoral Commission on preparations for the 2026 local government elections.
The European Union’s Pact on Migration and Asylum enters into force, introducing new rules on asylum processing, migrant relocation and burden-sharing between member states.
SpaceX is expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq in what could become the largest initial public offering in history.
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup opens in England.
Saturday 13 June
The DA is expected to announce its mayoral candidate for Cape Town ahead of this year’s local government elections.
South Africa Women open their T20 World Cup campaign against Australia at Old Trafford in Manchester.
Sunday 14 June
The White House hosts an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event on the South Lawn as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. Critics have argued that the spectacle is an inappropriate use of the presidential residence.
“No Kings” events are held across the US in protest against President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies, including its immigration crackdown. A nationally streamed concert in New York features Bette Midler, Patti Smith and Jane Fonda.
Swiss voters head to the polls in a referendum on immigration that would cap the country’s population at 10 million and end freedom of movement with the European Union.
The Formula One season continues with the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
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