STATEMENT ON CABINET MEETING

Issued by: Office of the President

Cabinet met today, 24 June 1998 in ordinary session.

The meeting discussed and approved the Employment Strategy Framework for the Presidential Jobs Summit. It also reaffirmed the government's resolve that the Summit should take place in the coming few weeks. Minister Tito Mboweni will release the document at a briefing in Johannesburg tomorrow.

Cabinet also received a briefing on preparations for the Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement; and it expressed satisfaction with the process which will lead up to the biggest international conference that the country has ever hosted.

The meeting approved the submission of the Competition bill to Parliament, on condition that, if there were substantive changes in the course of the current consultative process, the Bill would be re-submitted to Cabinet for approval. The meeting also agreed to an invitation for interested parties to apply for a licence to run the National Lottery. The Request for a Proposal (RFP) will first be issued for industry comment.

The meeting agreed that South Africa should join both the Pan-African Postal Union and the Pan-African Telecommunications Union. It also approved the recommendation for South Africa to host the Annual Ministerial Meeting of the SADC on Gender and Development, which is to take place at the end of July. The meeting also approved for submission to Parliament the proposal that South Africa accedes to international (UNESCO) conventions for the protection of cultural heritage in the event of armed conflict and against illicit import, export and transfer of cultural property.

Cabinet decided to extend the terms of office of some members of the Board of Tariffs and Trade, pending the restructuring of the Board, which should be concluded by the end of this year. It also approved the reconstitution of the Heraldry Council and Heraldry Committee.

The meeting approved the submission of the following Bills to Parliament:

• Agricultural Laws Rationalisation Bill which repeals redundant legislation which operated in the former bantustans;
• Road Traffic Laws Rationalisation Bill which repeals legislation applying to the former TBVC "states";
• Administrative Adjudication of Traffic Offences Bill which improves effectiveness of traffic law enforcement and lightens the burden on the criminal justice system;
• Postal Services Bill which establishes an orderly regulatory environment for postal services;
• Broadcasting Bill which rationalises the regulation of broadcasting and signal distribution and management;
• Coega Harbour Industrial Development Zone Bill which sets out the framework for the project;
• Nuclear Energy Bill which introduces transparent and accountable governance of the industry;
• Gas Bill which proposes the setting up of a Licensing Authority;
• Public Service Laws Amendment Bill which defines the roles of heads of departments in the Provinces, the duties of special advisors and proposes a new system to deal with matters of misconduct and inefficiency;
• Local Government; Municipal Demarcation Bill which proposes the alignment of functional and service delivery boundaries with future municipal boundaries;
• Adoption Matters Amendment Bill which introduces new provisions regarding the right of mothers and fathers of children born out of wedlock; and
• Final version of the National Environmental Management Bill after inter-ministerial consultations proposed by the previous Cabinet meeting.

24 June 1998

For further information contact: Joel Netshitenzhe 082-900-0083