Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
CABINET MEDIA BRIEFING GAUTENG PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT 02 SEPTEMBER 1998
The Gauteng Provincial Government Executive Council (Cabinet) held its fortnightly meeting earlier today. The meeting, which is chaired by the Premier, decided on a number of issues:
The Executive Council has declared September 1998 as Heritage Month. The Gauteng Province celebration will explore the power of culture in democratisation and human development as well as disciplines of arts, culture and heritage, such as languages, oral traditions, performing and visual arts. All these will be used to highlight cultural diversity and unite the people of Gauteng. The theme for the month will be Cultural Reconstruction: The Founders of Democracy.
A number of events have been planned to celebrate this month:
22 September 1998 - A tour is being arranged for young people from diverse Gauteng communities to visit historical places of heritage significance, including Freedom Square, Melville Koppies, The Fort and Sophiatown.
23 September 1998 - A symposium which will focus on Heritage Awareness and Conservation will be held.
24 September 1998 - Heritage Celebration will take place at the Newton Cultural Precinct in Johannesburg. The celebration will showcase diverse traditional dance performances and followed by a political programme.
28 September 1998 - A tour of the proposed World Heritage site in the Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai and surrounding areas will take place. In fact, the proposed site is known as Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai and Environs, South Africa. The area is of great natural, cultural and paleantological significance.
In line with its policy of creating jobs, the Cabinet has approved the plans for Gauteng province to host a Small Business Development conference. The conference will be preceded by regional build mini-conferences, which will culminate in a Provincial Conference in November 1998.
The Cabinet also decided to join forces with the Eastern Cape provincial government to stop violence in the Tsolo/Qumbu areas. The Premier of the Eastern Cape, Rev Makhenkesi Stofile, accompanied by a delegation of chiefs from the affected areas, will visit Gauteng on 10 and 11 October to meet with various parties to discuss the issues further.
A report on the Commission of Inquiry into acts of corruption and other irregularities with regard to the allocation and/or the sale of state funded residential properties in the urban areas of Gauteng was submitted by MEC Dan Mofokeng. The Executive Council accepted the findings of the Commission of Inquiry.
The Cabinet also discussed the subsidy by Provincial Housing Development Board of Gauteng to Antelol Investment (Pty) Ltd. The Premier will be hosting a Press Conference on this issue on Thursday, 03 September 1998 in the 15th floor, 30 Simmonds Street, Johannesburg. The time of the Press Conference will be confirmed in due course.
For more information, please contact Noel Ndhlovu at telephone number 355-6026 or 082-578-3326.