Date: 06/11/2003
Source: Ministry of Home Affairs
Title: Buthelezi: Media briefing on review of public holidays
REVIEW OF CALENDAR OF SOUTH AFRICAN HOLIDAYS: ADDRESS OF THE MEDIA BY MANGOSUTHU BUTHELEZI, MP, MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND PRESIDENT OF THE INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY, Pretoria, 6 November 2003
There have been numerous requests for declaration of some days to be public holidays. There were other requests or proposals for the current policy to celebrate certain holidays falling on Sundays, to include holidays falling on other days of the week. The requests are plenty, stemming from political, economic, religious or other reasons.
Clearly in a country like ours with diverse communities and interest groups, it is only unavoidable that some public holidays will be seen as divisive and only to the benefit of certain segments of the community and not others.
It is therefore desirable that everyone should be invited to make submissions all at the same time so that the calendar can be distributed evenly. Under the tenure of my previous Director-General, I instructed that consideration be given to the need of developing a programme which would enable flexible dates for all or most holidays, except those which are entrenched on a specific date. In this fashion, such holidays would fall only on a Friday or a Monday, avoiding their falling during the week thereby breaking the weekly productive cycle. This approach would also enable us to have longer weekends, which promotes tourism, family activities and certain commercial activities.
However, my proposal was not duly considered and it remains on the agenda, because I strongly feel that while we consider new holidays, we must also find ways and means to increase productivity and accelerate economic growth. Our country has already an extraordinarily high number of holidays as compared to other countries. We must be sensitive to the needs of many South Africans who will not benefit from more holidays, because they are unemployed due to the insufficient economic growth. Therefore, it is also important that within the parameters of this exercise, some degree of consideration be given to the economic impact of any additional holiday and how it affects all South Africans, and not only those who are employed.
Consequently Cabinet approved the establishment of an inter-departmental task team to review the South African holiday calendar, under my leadership. I have since set up a task team under the chairpersonship of Advocate KR Malatji, the head of our Legal Services. The departments identified to form the task team are Labour, Finance, Education and Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
The task team has already met on several occasions to look at the modus operandi in order to take the process forward and to receive submissions from all stakeholders and make recommendations. The task team is going to take all your suggestions and present them to me. Thereafter it is then my duty to report to the Cabinet Committee on the outcome. It is the Cabinet Committee that is going to take the final decision on what you shall have said.
It is now my pleasure to introduce to you the members of the task team:
Advocate KR Malatji, Chairperson, assisted by Advocate JE Leshabane as Secretariat, and Mr Apollo Gopolang all from my department. From the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism we have Dr Joseph Raputsoe and Ms Faith November. Mr Thembinkosi Mkalipi and Mr Monobe are from the Department of Labour. We also have Ms Gugu Nxumalo representing the Department of Education, and Mr Deon Botha from the Department of Finance.
I hope that the media will be conducive in promoting an open and well considered debate on these issues, taking into account both the need of making South Africa more productive and competitive as well as the need to accommodate our cultural diversity and our diverse need of celebrating events, which are important in the various religions and cultures which are currently represented in our country, or which may be represented in the future. It might be necessary to consider certain dates, which can serve as holidays for different purposes, for different segments of our communities, as we have done with Heritage Day, which relates to the heritage of each of our diverse communities. Given the conditions of our country, which is bound to continue to struggle on its uphill path towards economic prosperity, it might also be necessary for all of us to accept that certain days or events may be better celebrated with work rather than with holidays.
Ladies and gentlemen, these are the people who have been put at your disposal so you can give them your concerns about the public holidays in your country. Use them to get your voice to me and I will take it to the Cabinet Committee and eventually to Cabinet.
I thank you.
Issued by: Ministry of Home Affairs
6 November 2003
Source: Ministry of Home Affairs
Title: Buthelezi: Media briefing on review of public holidays
REVIEW OF CALENDAR OF SOUTH AFRICAN HOLIDAYS: ADDRESS OF THE MEDIA BY MANGOSUTHU BUTHELEZI, MP, MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND PRESIDENT OF THE INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY, Pretoria, 6 November 2003
There have been numerous requests for declaration of some days to be public holidays. There were other requests or proposals for the current policy to celebrate certain holidays falling on Sundays, to include holidays falling on other days of the week. The requests are plenty, stemming from political, economic, religious or other reasons.
Clearly in a country like ours with diverse communities and interest groups, it is only unavoidable that some public holidays will be seen as divisive and only to the benefit of certain segments of the community and not others.
It is therefore desirable that everyone should be invited to make submissions all at the same time so that the calendar can be distributed evenly. Under the tenure of my previous Director-General, I instructed that consideration be given to the need of developing a programme which would enable flexible dates for all or most holidays, except those which are entrenched on a specific date. In this fashion, such holidays would fall only on a Friday or a Monday, avoiding their falling during the week thereby breaking the weekly productive cycle. This approach would also enable us to have longer weekends, which promotes tourism, family activities and certain commercial activities.
However, my proposal was not duly considered and it remains on the agenda, because I strongly feel that while we consider new holidays, we must also find ways and means to increase productivity and accelerate economic growth. Our country has already an extraordinarily high number of holidays as compared to other countries. We must be sensitive to the needs of many South Africans who will not benefit from more holidays, because they are unemployed due to the insufficient economic growth. Therefore, it is also important that within the parameters of this exercise, some degree of consideration be given to the economic impact of any additional holiday and how it affects all South Africans, and not only those who are employed.
Consequently Cabinet approved the establishment of an inter-departmental task team to review the South African holiday calendar, under my leadership. I have since set up a task team under the chairpersonship of Advocate KR Malatji, the head of our Legal Services. The departments identified to form the task team are Labour, Finance, Education and Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
The task team has already met on several occasions to look at the modus operandi in order to take the process forward and to receive submissions from all stakeholders and make recommendations. The task team is going to take all your suggestions and present them to me. Thereafter it is then my duty to report to the Cabinet Committee on the outcome. It is the Cabinet Committee that is going to take the final decision on what you shall have said.
It is now my pleasure to introduce to you the members of the task team:
Advocate KR Malatji, Chairperson, assisted by Advocate JE Leshabane as Secretariat, and Mr Apollo Gopolang all from my department. From the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism we have Dr Joseph Raputsoe and Ms Faith November. Mr Thembinkosi Mkalipi and Mr Monobe are from the Department of Labour. We also have Ms Gugu Nxumalo representing the Department of Education, and Mr Deon Botha from the Department of Finance.
I hope that the media will be conducive in promoting an open and well considered debate on these issues, taking into account both the need of making South Africa more productive and competitive as well as the need to accommodate our cultural diversity and our diverse need of celebrating events, which are important in the various religions and cultures which are currently represented in our country, or which may be represented in the future. It might be necessary to consider certain dates, which can serve as holidays for different purposes, for different segments of our communities, as we have done with Heritage Day, which relates to the heritage of each of our diverse communities. Given the conditions of our country, which is bound to continue to struggle on its uphill path towards economic prosperity, it might also be necessary for all of us to accept that certain days or events may be better celebrated with work rather than with holidays.
Ladies and gentlemen, these are the people who have been put at your disposal so you can give them your concerns about the public holidays in your country. Use them to get your voice to me and I will take it to the Cabinet Committee and eventually to Cabinet.
I thank you.
Issued by: Ministry of Home Affairs
6 November 2003
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