Statement on Cabinet meeting of 16 February 2005

16 February 2005

At its meeting today, Cabinet noted the set of detailed decisions emerging from the Cabinet lekgotla, the broad framework of which informed the content of the State of the Nation Address as well as the on-going briefings being conducted by Clusters of Ministers during Parliamentary Briefing Week.

These issues, which together constitute the Programme of Action of government for the coming year, will be processed and, in the coming weeks, presented in a table that will be placed on Government Online (www.gov.za) for public monitoring and evaluation. On its part, Cabinet will continue with the process of two-monthly reviews of implementation, based on reports from the various Clusters.

Cabinet approved the White Paper on Corrections in SA, which defines the broad approach of government with regard to the corrections system including issues of rehabilitation, organisational culture, integrated approaches across the whole justice cluster, co-operation with the Social Sector, approaches to various categories of offenders and partnerships with civil society. The Department of Correctional Services will in the next few days release the White Paper for public information and submit it to Parliament for approval.

The meeting noted the adoption by the UN Security Council of Resolution 1566 dealing with the obligations of UN member-states in combating terrorism. These obligations include the prosecution or extradition of anyone supporting or participating in terrorist acts. The SA government has already set up an Inter-departmental committee and instituted various measures to attend to issues relevant to the Resolution, and it will continue to work with the world community in combating this scourge.

The following appointments were approved:
 

• Mr Geoff Qhena for consideration as Managing Director of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) - Cabinet delegated a Cabinet Committee next week to finalise the matter;
• A Deputy Director-General in the Department of Education;
• Members of the Board of Directors of the Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) Limited;
• Board of the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) with Mr M Karaan as Chairperson;
• Mr M Magugumela as CEO of the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR);
• Members of the Review Board of the Film and Publications Board;
• The National Gambling Board, with Mr C Fismer as Chairperson;
• Board of the South African Weather Service, chaired by Ms S Rensburg; and
• Members of the Board of the State Information Technology Agency (SITA).

Cabinet examined the response of government to the Tsunami Disaster in Southeast Asia and northeastern Africa, as well as disaster-related incidents in the past few months in our country. While noting the commendable manner in which government and the people of our country had responded to these events, the meeting agreed to review disaster management structures across all spheres of government in terms of human and financial capacity so as continually to improve our interventions. Further, government has, in principle, allocated R15m as its financial contribution towards the victims of the Tsunami Disaster; R75m for financial needs relating to local disasters; and R130m for drought relief in various parts of the country, including the Northern Cape.

As part of its contribution to the collective efforts of SADC to deal with the challenge of HIV and AIDS, the government has pledged to transfer an amount of R1m to the SADC HIV and AIDS Trust Fund. The Fund was established with a view to helping SADC member states fight the pandemic and it is disbursed across the region by the SADC Secretariat on the basis of need.

Enquiries
Joel Netshitenzhe
Cell: 082 900 0083

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)

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