The week ahead: international relations in focus

International relations are in focus this week, as an EU delegation visits South Africa to deepen co-operation between the country and the 27-nation bloc, and Deputy President Paul Mashatile heads to China to further bilateral relations with the Asian power. Here’s what else is in the week ahead.

Politics

South Africa to host SA-EU Joint Co-operation Council

On Monday, South Africa will host the 17^th meeting of the SA-EU Joint Co-operation Council in Pretoria. The meeting aims to deepen the South Africa-EU strategic partnership by promoting dialogue and co-operation on key strategic priorities, including peace and security, multilateralism, trade and the just energy transition.

Mashatile to spend the week on a working visit to China

Deputy President Paul Mashatile will be in China for a working visit until Saturday. Mashatile is on a high-level mission to deepen bilateral relations between both countries, with a focus on political co-operation, industrial investment, trade facilitation and economic collaboration.

By-elections

The last by-elections before the local government elections in November will be held on Wednesday, with two wards contested. Ward 3 in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, is an ANC ward that has already seen one by-election since the 2021 local election. Ward 15 in Rustenburg, North West, is a strong DA ward where the lion’s share of the opposition vote is with the Freedom Front Plus.

The ANC won ward 3 in Bushbuckridge in 2021 with 56.1% of the vote. An independent candidate won 35% of the vote and the EFF won 4.1%. In January 2024, the ANC retained the ward in a by-election with 66.8% to the EFF’s 32.1% and the PA’s 1.1%.

In the 2024 provincial election, the ANC won 69.7% of the vote, the EFF 22.9%, and MK 3.3%. The ANC and EFF are the only two parties contesting the ward on Wednesday.

The DA won ward 15 in Rustenburg with 71.8% of the vote in 2021; the FF+ secured 22.7% and the ANC 2.9%. In the 2024 provincial election, the DA won 75.6% of the vote, the FF+ 12.2% and the ANC 4.7%. The DA, FF+ and ANC will contest the ward on Wednesday.

Parliamentary calendar

The Phala Phala impeachment committee will meet on Wednesday to consider the draft terms of reference and to discuss the process to appoint evidence leaders.

Also on Wednesday, the auditor-general’s office will brief the portfolio committee on co-operative governance and traditional affairs on the 2024/25 consolidated audit outcomes.

Economics

Producer price inflation (May 2026)

Stats SA will release May’s PPI figures on Thursday morning. Producer prices jumped to 4.8% year on year in April on the back of higher oil prices. The market is broadly expecting a similar increase for May’s producer prices.

This article is published courtesy of The South Africa Brief, a political newsletter published on Substack which is a collaboration between Paul Berkowitz and Jonathan Moakes. It provides analysis and insight into the new, uncertain era of South African politics heralded by the 2024 general election. Including a specific focus on municipal politics, it will provide full analysis in the run-up to this year’s municipal polls. 

_{Top image collage: Rawpixel; Currency.}