Members of the media
Ladies and Gentlemen

Good evening!

In the last two weeks, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) which consists of various government departments led by the South African National Defence Force, the State Security Agency (SSA) and the South African Police Service, has been policing several protests that have been taking place in some parts of the country.

Police response to these protests, and how police have been managing the situation has been effective, with minimum incidents reported.

The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) will update the nation on safety and security measures in place, in light of a protest planned for Monday, 20 March 2023.

This comes as the Natjoints reaffirms and assures the Nation that measures are in place to prevent and combat any acts of criminality and that Monday is a normal working and business day. 

At its meeting on Wednesday, 15 March 2023, Cabinet welcomed the newly appointed members and wished them well in their new responsibilities, and also emphasised the need for Cabinet as a whole to implement government priorities with urgency.

A.    ISSUES IN THE ENVIRONMENT

1.    Electricity 

Minister in The Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni will brief media on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, 15 March 2023. Minister Ntshavheni will be joined by Ministers of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster to address the purported protest action.   

Introduction
 
This statement aims to outline the details of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2023 State of the Nation Address (SoNA) as it relates to the programmes and work of the ICTS Cluster.
 
The ICTS Cluster is responsible for Priority 7 of the Medium-term Strategic Framework 2019-2024, A Better Africa and World. We are outlining current and forthcoming actions that will demonstrate, as the President pronounced, that we are a nation of hope and resilience.

Government sends its deepest condolences to MEC Tate Makgoe’s family, his colleagues and friends, following his tragic passing during the early hours of Sunday morning. Government also sends its condolences to the family of Warrant officer Piet Mdi, who also tragically passed away in the accident. He served as MEC’s Makgoe’s VIP police protection officer.

Media briefing on the National State of Disaster pertaining to the impact of severe electricity supply constraints

A. Issues In The Environment

1. 2023 Budget Speech
1.1. Cabinet welcomed the 2023 National Budget giving effect to critical interventions outlined by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address. The Speech detailed plans to tackle the energy challenge, reduce unemployment, poverty and the rising cost of living, including combating crime and corruption.

The Minister in The Presidency, Mondli Gungubele will, on Thursday, 02 March 2023 brief media on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, 01 March 2023.  

The details of the briefing are as follows:

Date: Thursday, 02 March 2023
Time: 10h00
Venue: Ronnie Mamoepa Press Room, Ground Floor, Tshedimosetso house, Cnr Francis Baard and Festival Streets, Hatfiled, Pretoria    

Live Streaming:

Government hosts post SONA media briefing of the Governance, State Capacity And Institutional Development (GSCID) Cluster

Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) will, on Thursday, 02 March 2023, host a virtual media briefing of the Governance, State Capacity and Institutional Development Cluster led by Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Acting Minister of Public Service and Administration, Thulas Nxesi.