Issued by: The Office of the President
CABINET MEETING 15 NOVEMBER 1995
The Cabinet held its scheduled fortnightly meeting in the Union Buildings this morning. The Cabinet attended, amongst other things, to the Cabinet programme for next year. Two Cabinet Bosberaad's are being planned for the year - one in January and the other at mid-year.
The Cabinet reviewed the current state of affairs with regard to the Nigerian situation and reiterated the government's condemnation of the execution of Ken Sara-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists and of the military regime's callous disregard for the efforts by the South African and other African governments to lend assistance in the restoration of democracy in that country.
The Cabinet joined the President in calling for the urgent re- storation of democracy in Nigeria, an end to any further executions and the immediate release of all political prisoners including Moshood Abiola and General Obasanjo.
The Government of National Unity confirms its commitment to support all effective and efficient means towards the restoration of democracy in Nigeria, including the imposition of appropriate sanc- tions. South Africa is part of the Committee of Eight Member States established by the Commonwealth and will within that forum as well as within the Southern African Development Community, the Organisa- tion of African Unity, the Non-Aligned Movement and the United Nations explore and initiate appropriate measures to increase pressure against the Abacha regime for the speedy restoration of democracy in Nigeria.
The Cabinet further approved the formation of a National Investment Promotion Agency as a Section 21 company. The agency, to be called the Investment Centre, will have as its objectives the co-ordination of investment promoting activities, the promotion of South Africa as an investment destination, the utilisation of the experience of non-governmental investment promotion activities and the development of a partnership with business, labour and para- statals in devising investment promotion strategies. The government and other stakeholders would serve on the board of the Company.
Approval was also given for the establishment of an Expenditure Evaluation Unit in the Ministry of Finance. The objective of the Unit would be to identify cash savings in governmental spending agencies, lending support to the Government of National Unity in reaching its fiscal goals with the budget. To reach its objective the Unit will have to evaluate budgets and functions of spending agencies outside the normal budget cycle in order to identify real cash savings, expenditure not aimed at RDP goals, duplication of functions or expenditure, and stumbling blocks or stoppages in the system prohibiting savings. The creation of this Unit underlines the government's continuing commitment to fiscal discipline.
The Cabinet approved the publication of the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service and the White Paper for Social Welfare. The public would thereby be allowed the opportunity to comment on these two very important policy documents.
SECRETARY OF THE CABINET
15 November 1995