US trade representative Katherine Tai is expected to arrive in SA on Tuesday ahead of the US-Africa trade summit this week.
Johannesburg will host the meeting of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), the US trade and investment programme in Sub-Saharan Africa.
While in Johannesburg, Tai will meet senior government officials from Agoa-eligible countries and US ambassador to SA Reuben Brigety, said her office. She will also co-chair the Agoa forum on Friday and Saturday alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa.
On Monday, Ramaphosa is due to address the country in a televised speech after SA’s 12-11 win over New Zealand in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said previously that Ramaphosa would consider declaring a public holiday if the Springboks won a record fourth World Cup title.
Ramaphosa will also field questions in parliament on Thursday on issues such as government finances, the role and independence of the Reserve Bank and the results of the 2022 national census released by Stats SA earlier in October.
Meanwhile on Wednesday, finance minister Enoch Godongwana will deliver the medium-term budget policy statement. Godongwana gave a glimpse at the weekend of what to expect in his presentation, saying the government would probably have to go on borrowing to keep up with increased spending pressure.
Godongwana said at the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation annual Drakensberg inclusive growth forum on Friday that the government will probably run out of money by March if it fails to implement budget cuts across the board.
“If we project the loss of revenue over the next few months up to the beginning of the year, we are going to have a serious challenge ... the Reserve Bank says sooner or later we’re going to run out of cash,” he said.
“The problem with debt is not its size, it’s the capacity of the economy to service it. In this environment, our ability to service that debt is becoming constrained, and therefore we’ve got to do something about it.”
Meanwhile, the DA is set to announce its alternative medium-term budget. This will set out the DA’s proposed programmes “to stimulate economic growth that will create jobs, solve the energy crisis, stabilise state debt, support vulnerable South Africans and bolster corruption-fighting institutions”, the party said in a statement.
The ANC’s national working committee, which is responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation, will this week consider proposals from the party’s internal national coalitions task team on ways to cut its relationship with the EFF.
Business Day reported previously that the ANC is considering terminating its relationship in key municipalities in Gauteng, seeing this as more harmful than useful as it prepares for elections next year.
On Friday, the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) is planning a national protest against the impending partial privatisation of Transnet.
Transnet has yet to sign a contract with International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI), the global player it chose almost three months ago as its partner to turn around its inefficient Durban container terminal.
This transaction comes nearly two years after Ramaphosa’s administration announced it would allow for private sector participation at the port, which has been hampered by inefficiency, ageing infrastructure and congestion.
Satawu opposes the transaction, saying it will lead to widespread job losses.
However, Transport Port Terminals (TPT) said in a statement last week that contingency measures are in place to avert work stoppages.
“Contingency plans are being put in place in the event of the Satawu leadership continuing with its action, and Transnet Port Terminals remains committed to resolving any possible disruptions by instituting the appropriate plans,” said TPT.
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