OCKHAM OBSERVER

An eye on the week ahead

‘Mini-Budget’ to be tabled in Parliament

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana tables his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Monday 10 November
MK Party Deputy President John Hlophe is reportedly spending the week on his farm in Paarl contemplating his future. He faces a party inquiry over his unilateral removal of Chief Whip Colleen Makhubele.

EFF councillors and MPLs in the Eastern Cape are not expected to attend council or legislature meetings after a party directive ordering them to focus on campaigning for the 2026 local elections instead.

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen meets stakeholders from the bee industry in Cape Town to discuss strengthening the apiculture value chain and improving bee production in South Africa.

Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Nomalungelo Gina delivers the keynote address at the 20th anniversary celebration of the Southern African Large Telescope in Sutherland.

Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya officially unveils the refurbished Lesedi Building in central Pretoria, which the City says will save millions by cutting reliance on leased office space.

Operation Vulindlela co-lead in the Presidency Rudi Dicks joins Centre for Development and Enterprise Executive Director Ann Bernstein for an online discussion on South Africa’s reform agenda and how to accelerate its implementation.

Brazil hosts the COP30 UN climate summit in the Amazon city of Belém, bringing together world leaders to phase out fossil fuels, protect forests and support vulnerable and indigenous communities.

US President Donald Trump hosts Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House as Washington hopes to enlist Damascus in the US-led coalition against ISIS.

New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani starts the week setting out plans to ‘Trump-proof’ the city ahead of his 1 January inauguration, including bolstering New York’s legal firepower to resist threatened funding cuts and federal interventions by President Donald Trump.

Egypt holds parliamentary elections to choose a new House of Representatives.

Tuesday 11 November
National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi is expected to give evidence to Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing allegations by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile answers questions in the National Assembly on inclusive growth, poverty alleviation, cost-of-living reduction, land reform timelines, GNU economic policy coherence and drug cartels.

Also in Parliament:

  • Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health hears the Department’s responses to issues raised during public hearings on the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill.
  • The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education holds stakeholder engagements as part of the ongoing statutory rape inquiry.
  • The Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture meets the Netball World Cup 2023 Board to discuss its finances.

Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Seiso Mohai conducts an oversight visit to the Giyani Water Project and the Musina Makhado Special Economic Zone in Limpopo.

Stats SA publishes the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the third quarter of 2025.

Vodacom announces its interim results days after finalising a settlement with ‘Please Call Me’ inventor Nkosana Makate for an undisclosed amount.

G7 foreign ministers meet in Ontario, Canada, for a two-day summit on economic and security challenges, including maritime security, economic resilience, energy security and critical minerals.

Iraqis vote in a parliamentary election amid low turnout concerns and fears of wider regional conflict involving Israel and Iran.

Catherine Connolly is inaugurated as Ireland’s 10th president at a ceremony in St Patrick’s Hall, Dublin Castle.

Remembrance Day is observed across the Commonwealth to mark the end of World War One.

Wednesday 12 November
Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana delivers the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement, outlining fiscal and economic projections, expenditure priorities and adjustments to the government’s medium term framework.

Also in Parliament:

  • The Electricity and Energy Portfolio Committee discusses the performance of the Department’s entities.
  • The Employment and Labour Portfolio Committee receives a briefing from Stats SA on South Africa’s unemployment challenges.
  • The Public Works and Infrastructure Portfolio Committee engages in a comprehensive review of the Expanded Public Works Programme.

A new Dutch parliament is installed following closely fought elections, as coalition talks continue under former minister Wouter Koolmees.

Thursday 13 November
The T20 Summit brings together think tanks from G20 countries to discuss policy recommendations ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

The National Assembly holds virtual mini-plenary sessions debating the impact of substance abuse on communities and the strain illegal migration places on social and security budgets.

The National Council of Provinces holds a question session with the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi on SABC’s funding model, SA Post Office job preservation, rural internet infrastructure and the digitisation of government services.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson opens the 2025 National Construction Summit in Gauteng.

Former UK cabinet minister Lord Peter Hain is in conversation with Professor Richard Calland at a Cape Town Press Club gala dinner at Kelvin Grove to mark 50 years since the club’s founding in 1975.

Nigeria, Cameroon, DRC and Gabon begin Africa’s World Cup play-offs in Rabat, a mini-tournament to decide which team advances to the FIFA intercontinental play-off for a potential 10th African place at the 2026 World Cup.

Friday 14 November
The Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi hears evidence from Police Ministry chief of staff Cedrick Nkabinde.

Minister of Finance Enoch Gondwana will brief the Standing and Select Committees on Finance and Appropriations on the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement.

World Diabetes Day is observed globally. This year’s focus is on raising awareness about the challenges of diabetes in the workplace.

Action thriller The Running Man opens in cinemas, following a New York red-carpet premiere earlier in the week attended by South African sprinter Akani Simbine.

The Proteas begin their first test match against India in Kolkata.

Saturday 15 November
On this day in 1988, Yasser Arafat proclaimed the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in Algiers, announcing the State of Palestine and declaring Jerusalem its capital.

Bafana Bafana face Zambia in an international exhibition match in Gqeberha following their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Springboks meet Italy in the Autumn Nations Series at Juventus Stadium in Turin.

Sunday 16 November
The G20 holds its fourth Sherpa Meeting, gathering senior representatives from member states to finalise policy coordination and prepare outcomes for the forthcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit.

The final two teams in Africa’s World Cup play-offs meet in Rabat to decide who advances to the FIFA intercontinental play-off for a potential 10th African place at the 2026 World Cup.

The Jewish Leadership Conference takes place in New York under the theme ‘Can the Jews Save the West?’, honouring US commentator Ben Shapiro and journalist Bari Weiss among others.

Chile holds general elections to choose a new president, the Chamber of Deputies and half the Senate, in a contest notable for the resurgence of right-wing parties and the return of compulsory voting.

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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.