STATEMENT ON MEETING OF COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

Issued by: Office of the President

The scheduled meeting of the Cabinet which was due today took the form of a Committee of Ministers because of the absence on other assignments of both the President and the Deputy President.

The meeting received a report on the investigations regarding the bomb attack last night at Planet Hollywood. Government condemns in the strongest terms possible this act of barbaric violence and it extends its heartfelt condolences to the victims and their close of kin. The meeting noted that the incident follows a pattern of terrorism that has manifested itself over the past few months in the Cape Peninsula, where many citizens have lost life and limb.

Government is of the firm resolve that, whoever perpetrated this deed of utter callousness must be assured that we will hunt them down until justice takes its full course. We believe that we speak on behalf of all South Africans when we assert that no one should and will be allowed to use South African soil to play out their fantasies, whatever their vile motivation.

Government has got a responsibility to protect our constitutional order; and this it will do using the full might of the law. In this regard, the Ministers have been assured that the security agencies are following strong leads and they are confident that those who perpetrated this dastardly act will soon be arrested.

Government calls on all South Africans - Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and those of any other faith - to stand together in condemning violence and upholding the ideals of our Constitution. Wherever we are, and in whatever we do and say, we should not allow our country to be drawn into the vortex of international terrorism.

The meeting noted that the matter of security in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal Midlands has been on the agenda of a special Task Team under the chairpersonship of Deputy President Thabo Mbeki. This Task Team will, in the next few days, be considering a number of special measures required to deal with the latest situation; and where necessary, relevant announcement will be made.

Among others, the meeting took decisions pertaining to:

• National Housing Policy including the question of rental stock; as well as allocation of funds to assist people in need to relocate to more affordable houses
• Norms and standards for school funding in terms of the South African Schools Act
• The National Drug Master Plan
• The accession by South Africa to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Species (CITES)
• Clarification of rules regulating gifts or "hospitalities" offered to political office-bearers.

The meeting also adopted proposals to convene a National Anti-corruption Summit in November.

These decisions of the Committee of Ministers will be presented to the next meeting of Cabinet for ratification.

26 August 1998

For further information contact: Joel Netshitenzhe 082 900 0083