OCKHAM OBSERVER

An eye on the week ahead

Parties hold final rallies

The ANC, DA and EFF hold their final campaign rallies ahead of the 4 November local government elections.

Monday 26 October
The National Assembly remains on constituency leave until after the 4 November local government elections.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile visits Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng to assess the water contamination crisis that has reportedly caused 408 cases of gastrointestinal illness and to inspect the local water treatment works.

Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau attends the Mafube Investment and Jobs Summit in Frankfort, Free State.

Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber visits Springbok in the Northern Cape to hand over Smart ID cards and highlight improvements in Home Affairs service delivery.

Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa holds a community engagement in Winterveldt, north of Pretoria, to discuss electricity infrastructure, network security and the reliability of power supply.

South African Ambassador to the US Roelf Meyer addresses the Cape Town Press Club on his new memoir, co-written with journalist Anneliese Burgess.

Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs the fifth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party Central Committee in Beijing.

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine presents a new report in New York examining Russian attacks on critical energy infrastructure and recruitment of foreign nationals into the Russian armed forces.

Early voting continues across the United States ahead of the 3 November midterm elections.

The 2026 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony is held in London. Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal are among the contenders for the men’s prize.

Tuesday 27 October
Parliament’s finance and appropriations committees receive briefings from the Parliamentary Budget Office and the Financial and Fiscal Commission on the 2026 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement.

Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy officially opens seven refurbished railway stations along the East London rail corridor, following their rehabilitation by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).

The African Union Peace and Security Council holds an ambassadorial-level session on the ongoing conflict in the Eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Israel holds legislative elections for all 120 seats in the Knesset, the first since the 7 October 2023 attacks and the Gaza war, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition fighting to retain its majority.

The UK’s King Charles III begins a tour of the Caribbean, including visits to the Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda.

The Proteas face Australia in the third and final Test of their three-match series at Newlands in Cape Town, with the match scheduled to run until Saturday.

Wednesday 28 October
Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa briefs the media in Pretoria on South Africa’s Gas Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme and the government’s gas-to-power plans.

Minister of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela addresses the Careers Exhibitions and Information Association conference in Mpumalanga.

Parliament’s Standing and Select Committees on Finance hold joint public hearings on the Revised Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals.

Stats SA releases September figures for international tourism and liquidations, August motor trade sales data, and findings from its Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey.

The third Russia-Africa Summit opens in Moscow.

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey presents his first Budget to Parliament.

The US Federal Reserve announces its latest interest rate decision.

Thursday 29 October
President Cyril Ramaphosa visits eThekwini in KwaZulu-Natal, to assess progress on housing for survivors of the 2022 floods and to inspect the Cornubia integrated human settlements project.

A full bench of the Gauteng High Court hears arguments on the detention of asylum seekers, following conflicting interpretations of a Constitutional Court ruling that asylum seekers may not be deported before accessing the asylum system.

The March and March movement holds a protest outside the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria against proposed online asylum registration arrangements.

Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero launches City Power’s new eCharge mobile app, allowing electric vehicle owners to pay for and manage charging sessions digitally.

The 21st EU-Canada summit opens in Montreal, with Prime Minister Mark Carney hosting European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The European Central Bank announces its latest interest rate decision.

Stats SA releases its Producer Price Index for September 2026.

Friday 30 October
National Treasury and SARS respond to submissions on the Revised Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals at a joint meeting of Parliament’s Standing and Select Committees on Finance.

National Treasury briefs the media on the second-quarter progress report for Operation Vulindlela, outlining progress on structural reforms aimed at accelerating economic growth.

The G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting opens in Atlanta, Georgia, chaired by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Saturday 31 October
South Africa’s allocated political election broadcast period concludes ahead of the 4 November local government elections.

The Democratic Alliance holds its final election campaign rally in Mamelodi, Pretoria, addressed by leader Geordin Hill-Lewis.

The EFF holds its closing local election campaign rally at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, addressed by leader Julius Malema.

Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs meet in the Soweto Derby at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.

The Springbok Women face Ireland in Cape Town in the second of two WXV Global Series Test matches.

Halloween is observed worldwide.

Sunday 1 November
The ANC holds its Siyanqoba Rally in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, addressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The Soweto Marathon is held in Johannesburg, with runners competing in one of South Africa’s best-known road races.

The New York City Marathon takes place, attracting elite international runners to one of the world’s largest annual road-running events.

The Mexico City F1 Grand Prix gets underway at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

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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.