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Statement on Cabinet Meeting, 8 March 2006 At its meeting,
Cabinet noted progress in establishing the Joint Initiative on Priority Skills
Acquisition (JIPSA). A critical part of Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative
for South Africa (Asgisa) projects, JIPSA brings together social partners to act
on immediate and medium-term skills needs in the economy, particularly high-level
and artisan skills. Cabinet approved the composition of the JIPSA Task
Team: chaired by the Deputy President and made up of senior representatives of
government, labour, business, youth, women, academic institutions, science councils
and State-Owned Enterprises. The meeting confirmed the appointment of Mr Gwede
Mantashe, General Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers as chairperson
the JIPSA Technical Working Group. The National Business Initiative (NBI) will
constitute a Secretariat for the Initiative. It was also agreed that the needs
of people with disabilities needed to be integrated into JIPSA activities. Cabinet
welcomed the manner in which the third democratic local government elections were
conducted, and expressed its appreciation of the fact that the elections were
accepted by all participants as being substantially free and fair. Voter participation,
which was higher both in terms of percentage and absolute numbers, confirmed improved
civic-mindedness among South Africans on matters pertaining to governance in local
communities. Also welcome is the massive improvement in the representation of
women. Government wishes to thank the Electoral Commission (IEC) for its
excellent management of the elections, and to congratulate voters for their participation
and conduct. We call on all citizens to join the newly-elected Councillors in
implementing programmes to improve communities' quality of life. Further, we do
hope that, in public discourse, the media and "political analysts" will
pay attention to the positive reality about these elections. In the coming
period, national and provincial governments will implement comprehensive programmes
to ensure induction and training of the elected representatives. And, in order
to improve interaction with communities, national and provincial leaders will
focus on integrated implementation of growth and development programmes during
the National Imbizo Focus Week, scheduled for 6 to 13 April. Cabinet agreed
that special efforts would be made to ensure return to normalcy in the Khutsong
area of Merafong, so that this community can benefit from programmes to build
a better life for all. In the same vein, government is confident that issues pertaining
to "hung councils" would be resolved as urgently as possible. The
following appointments were approved: - Board of Directors of the SA
Post Office (SAPO) Limited, with Ms PRE Tshukudu as Chairperson; and
- Non-Executive
Directors and the Chief Financial Officer of the SENTECH Board.
Cabinet
noted the launch today, on International Women's Day, of the programme to commemorate
the 50th anniversary of the Women's March on Union Buildings. This anniversary,
which falls on 9 August, honours the struggles of women and other South Africans
for equal rights irrespective of gender, race or religion. Various activities
will take place during the course of the year to reaffirm our country's commitment
to gender equality and to ensure that this principle increasingly informs our
development and implementation of policy. Government commits itself to
work with all social partners to promote the economic empowerment of women, including
access to finance, skills development and affirmative procurement practices. In
addition to a gender-sensitive implementation of the Asgisa and other government
programmes, a special effort will be made to ensure that society reflects, in
its day-to-day handling of social issues, respect for women's rights. In
this context, Cabinet expressed its concern regarding the behaviour of certain
members of society around matters pertaining to allegations of, and court hearings
on, sexual violence. In particular, Cabinet calls on those who wish to express
their solidarity in the Johannesburg rape trial of the former Deputy President
to ensure that nothing is done which undermines the rule of law, demeans the complainant
and the defendant, and suggests disrespect for the judiciary and law-enforcement
agencies. Cabinet approved for submission to Parliament the Sectional Titles
Amendment Bill which provides for rights of owners of property under sectional
title, for exclusive use areas and common property. The meeting noted the
work being done by relevant departments and Eskom to ensure that power outages
that have affected the Western Cape Province are eliminated. It was agreed that
the comprehensive plan to re-equip Koeberg and improve transmission from other
parts of the country should be implemented with a sense of urgency. Though largely
unforeseen, the impact of the recent power disruptions on communities and business
is profoundly regretted. While investigations on the immediate causes of the disruption
are continuing, the main focus at this juncture is to ensure that we minimise
this. Government calls on all South Africans, especially in the Western
Cape, to co-operate with the energy authorities in implementing immediate measures
aimed at preventing load shedding. The meeting was informed that the investigation
by the Inspector-General for Intelligence into alleged e-mail exchanges and chat-rooms
among senior public figures had been finalised, and that a report would be presented
to the Minister for Intelligence during the course of this week. The Minister
will study the report and, in consultation with the President, make recommendations
to Cabinet. Government joins all South Africans in congratulating the directors
and cast of Tsotsi, which this week won the US Academy Award for Best Foreign
Film. We hope that this achievement will inspire the profession to greater heights,
reflecting the joy and tribulations of a nation changing itself for the better.
For further information contact:
Joel Netshitenzhe
Cell: 082
900 0083 Issued by: Government Communication and Information System
(GCIS)
8 March 2006 | 
