Statement on Cabinet meeting 20 March

20 March 2007

Cabinet held its fifth meeting of the year this morning, 20 March 2007, in
Cape Town.

The meeting considered and ratified the agreement to establish the Basel
Convention Training Centres for English speaking African Countries. The Basel
Convention is a global agreement which seeks to address challenges posed by the
trans-boundary movement of hazardous waste. Its objectives are to minimise
hazardous waste, promote disposal of these wastes as close to source of
generation as possible and the reduction of movement of these wastes
particularly across international boundaries. These regional centres will
assist developing countries to implement and fulfil their obligations in terms
of the convention.

Cabinet noted plans to release the reports on the first year of
implementation of the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa
(AsgiSA) and Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA)
initiatives. The Deputy President will release the AsgiSA report on Thursday,
22 March 2007 and the JIPSA report will be published next week. These reports
will give the public and the social partners an indication of the progress
towards meeting the targets for faster and shared growth, skill development and
will highlight the challenges that need to be addressed in the coming year.

The meeting noted plans to celebrate Human Rights Day in different provinces
tomorrow, 21 March 2007. Government urges the public to participate in these
events to commemorate those who lost their lives as victims of violent
repression; celebrate progress in realising human rights and dignity; and
reaffirm our commitment to ensure that these rights are enjoyed by all.

Cabinet was briefed on the successful two-day South African National Aids
Council (SANAC) National Consultative Conference to finalise the draft National
Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS and STI for 2007-11. The outcomes of the conference
make it a major milestone in our efforts, as South Africans, to respond to the
challenge of HIV/AIDS. Government wishes to convey its appreciation to all
stakeholders for their role in the preparation for what became a very
successful consultative conference and the spirit of partnership that prevailed
before, during and after the conference. We are satisfied that together, in a
partnership of hope, we can overcome the challenges that face us in the fight
against HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Government wishes to
stress the centrality of behavioural change by individuals, particularly among
the youth, that will put us on course to defeat the scourge of HIV/AIDS.

Cabinet noted that the Minister of Communications had received the report on
the investigations into the affairs of the Board of the South African Post
Office. The Minister will release the findings of the investigation and
announce the steps she will be taking to address the problems raised in the
report at a later date.

As part of our commitment to contribute to peace and stability on the
continent, and to fulfil our international obligations to the United Nations
(UN) and the African Union, Cabinet approved a request to extend the deployment
of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) personnel in Sudan (750,
AMIS), Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (1264, MONUC), Ethiopia and
Eritrea (10, UNMEE/OLMEE). The deployment of 22 SANDF personnel assisting with
integration and training in the DRC will be extended by a year. The meeting
further approved the deployment of five SANDF personnel to be part of the UN
Political Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) as military observers and staff officers.
South Africa will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the UN's Department
of Peacekeeping Operations to regulate our role in UNMIN.

The meeting approved the proposal for South Africa to sign and ratify the UN
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its optional
Protocol. Cabinet noted that South Africa, along with Mexico, were instrumental
in negotiating this UN Convention. The Convention will be an important
instrument for developing, and where necessary, adjusting existing policies to
ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy and exercise the same rights,
obligations and responsibilities as anyone else. In signing and ratifying the
Convention, we will be deepening our commitment to take further steps in the
equalisation of opportunities for persons with disabilities. The Convention
will be signed at a special ceremony at the UN headquarters in New York on 30
March 2007.

Cabinet, once again, expressed its concerns about the deteriorating
situation in Zimbabwe and reaffirmed the government position, as recently
stated by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, that only dialogue among the
main political protagonists can help bring about a lasting solution to the
current political and economic challenges facing Zimbabwe. As stated
previously, South Africa is ready to provide whatever assistance is required in
bringing about a peaceful and lasting solution to the situation in
Zimbabwe.

The meeting approved the Public Transport Strategy and action plan. This
strategy maps out a framework to accelerate the urgently needed transformation
of South Africa's public transport. It aims to implement high quality public
transport networks that integrate rail, bus and minibuses to form a single
public transport system for the benefit of the public and the economy. The
Minister will unveil the details of the strategy and the implementation plan
next week.

Cabinet noted that preparations for South Africa's hosting of the Global
Forum V on Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity were proceeding according to
plan. The meeting approved the proposal for a high-level delegation of
Ministers, Deputy Ministers and senior government officials to attend and
represent South Africa at the forum. The key Ministries in the delegation will
include Finance, Safety and Security, Home Affairs, Justice as well as Public
Service and Administration. The Forum will be held on 2 to 5 April 2007 at the
Sandton Convention Centre.

The following Bills were approved.

* Criminal Law (Sentencing) Amendment Bill was approved for submission to
Parliament for consideration during 2007 session (Dept of Justice and
Constitutional Affairs)
* Co-operative Banks Bill for submission to Parliament in the 2007 session of
Parliament (Department of Finance)

The following appointments were approved:

* Mr Alan Hirsch as the Deputy Director General (DDG) in the
Presidency
* One DDG in the Department of Trade and Industry
* The following were appointed as non-Executive Directors to the Board of the
South African Post Office (SAPO) for a three year period: Mr P Canca; Ms N
Msimang; Ms T Mokgosi-Mwantebe; Mr S Mokoetle and Mr V Mahlathi as Board
Chairperson.
* The meeting concurred with the appointment of the of the following nominees
to the Board of Mintek: Mr H Motaung (Chairperson); Ms GFN Mthethwa; Mr R
Havenstein; Mr S Sikhosana; Mr MA Ntilane; Ms L Mhlambeni; Dr J Bredell; Mr M
Mphomela; Dr B Sehlapelo and Dr. P. Jourdan (Chief Executive Officer)
* Cabinet concurred with the appointment of the following as new Directors of
the Board of the Central Energy Fund (CEF) (Pty) Ltd: Ms B Mabuza; Mr M Damane
(CEO); Mr TZ Feketha
* The recommendation to appoint Ms B Ngwenya as the Chief Operations Officer of
Sentech for a five year period was endorsed

Enquiries: Themba Maseko
Tel: 083 645 0810)

Issued by Government Communications (GCIS)
20 March 2007