Audio [mp3]
25 October 2007
Cabinet held its ordinary meeting in Cape Town yesterday morning. The latter
part of the meeting was an extended Cabinet meeting which was joined by
Premiers and Members of the Executive Committees (MECs) responsible for
Finance. The purpose of the extended meeting was to receive a presentation on
the results of the Community Survey and to discuss the macro-economic outlook,
the Medium Term Strategic and Expenditure Framework, and the Division of
Revenue Framework for the 2008/09 financial year.
All Members of Cabinet, including President Mbeki and the Deputy President,
attended the meeting wearing either a Springbok supporter's jersey, jacket,
scarf or cap and Springbok flags were displayed at the main entrance and in
different parts of the Cabinet room. A DVD of photos of the Rugby World Cup
final was playing in the background during the meeting. In this way, Cabinet
was expressing its support for the Bokke for winning the Rugby World Cup.
Cabinet joins the millions of South Africans in congratulating the
Springboks for winning the International Rugby Board (IRB) Rugby World Cup and
bringing the Web Ellis trophy home. This victory has helped to establish our
country as a sporting nation that is capable of competing with and winning
against the best in the world. Our congratulations go to the staff and
management of the team and most of all, to all the players for showing
resilience, commitment, dedication and passion throughout the tournament and
particularly during the final on Saturday evening. With the titles of Coach of
the Year, Team of the Year, Player of the Year all coming home with the Bokke,
we can truly say that South Africa is indeed the home of champions.
The Springbok's victory is, and will be for many years to come, an
inspiration to millions of young, talented, sport-loving South Africans and it
will also serve to inspire our soccer fraternity to double their efforts to
give South Africans another reason to celebrate in the 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP. In
the same vein, we congratulate the Bafana Bafana for winning the Council of
South African Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup last night.
The meeting also conveyed a special THANK YOU to all South Africans for
supporting and standing behind the team throughout the tournament. Cabinet
calls on South Africans to show their full support to the Springboks by turning
out in their millions during the planned processions in the various cities
around the country. This support must also translate into active support to all
our national sport teams as we move closer to achieving the goal of building
non-racial sports.
This victory demonstrates the role that sport can play in uniting all South
Africans and getting everyone to focus on the positive things that make our
nation great. There is no reason why South Africans cannot channel this
positive energy and unity towards tackling all the challenges that face our
young democracy.
The President announced at the meeting that he will receive the Springboks
on Friday at the Union Buildings at 09h30 to mark the beginning of their
national tour to take the Web Ellis trophy to the various cities around the
country.
Cabinet resolved to suspend wild abalone (also known as perlemoen) fishing
with effect from 1 November 2007,and approved a social plan to address the job
losses that would result from this decision. This suspension was based on the
fact that the abalone stock is in a crisis and is threatened with commercial
extinction. The main causes of the decline in abalone stocks are poaching and
the migration of West Coast Rock Lobsters into the abalone areas which consume
sea urchins that provide shelter to juvenile abalone. Later this morning, the
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism will release a statement giving
further details in this regard. Some of the measures incorporated in the Social
Plan will include the development of a sustainable aquaculture industry and
issuing of additional permits for whale watching and shark cage diving.
Government will work with all key stakeholders to manage the transition.
The 2007/11 South Africa-World Bank Country Partnership Strategy was noted
before its submission to the Executive Board of the World Bank for
consideration. This strategy will serve as a guide for the World Bank's
activities in this country and proposes South African ownership of all
interventions with the overall objective of eradicating poverty and reducing
inequality in the country and the region.
The extended Cabinet meeting (including Premiers and MECs) was briefed on
results of the Community Survey by the Statistician-General. The survey results
were noted and welcomed by the meeting. This part of the meeting was also
briefed on and discussed the macro-economic outlook and the 2008/11 Medium Term
Expenditure Framework. The Minister of Finance will give more details on these
issues when he delivers the Medium Term Budget Policy statement in Parliament
on 30 October 2007.
Cabinet considered and accepted the progress reports from all its committees
on the implementation of the government Programme of Action (POA). These
reports will form the basis of the Ministerial POA media briefings that are
scheduled for the week of 29 October 2007.
Cabinet noted and approved the agreement for the establishment of the Africa
Development Fund, which will be the concessional lending arm of the African
Development Bank and the establishment of the Collaborative Africa Budget
Reform Initiative (CABRI) with its headquarters in South Africa. The CABRI is a
network of government officials in the ministries of finance which will promote
efficient and effective management of public finances. The establishment of
both the fund and CABRI will be tabled in Parliament for ratification.
The meeting approved that the Department of Communications hosts the
International Telecommunications Unions (ITU) World Telecommunication
Standardisation Assembly (WTSA-08) in Durban, South Africa on 21 to 30 October
2008. A Global Symposium on Standardisation will be held on the day preceding
the assembly.
The following appointments were approved:
* Mr JB Masilela's employment contract as the Secretary of Defence was
extended for a period of two years.
* Employment contract of Mr M Mosala, Chief Executive Officer of SA Tourism,
was extended for a further three years.
* Ms TE Radebe was appointed to the post of Chief Executive Officer of the
Centre for Public Service Innovation
* Mr NM Mabaso was appointed as Deputy Director-General in the Department of
Home Affairs
* The following were appointed to the Board of the South African Library for
the Blind from 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2010: Justice ZM Yacoob
(Chairperson); Ms M Maharaj; Professor GH Fredericks; Mr AC Keyser; Dr MO
Maguvhe; Ms MR Mphahlele; Mr MK Ntshani; Ms CA Popplestone; and Ms J
Wagner.
Enquiries: Themba Maseko (Government Spokesperson)
Cell: 083 645 0810
Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)
25 October 2007
