At the end of each year the Ministries report to the President on their activities and plans for the year. What follows are brief abstracts from the reports submitted at the end of 1996 and 1997.
Good progress has been made towards a more efficient agriculture which corrects past inequalities of access to resources and support services. This will bring about faster growth of income, production and exports leading to a more self-reliant commercial farming sector; an active medium and small-scale sector; better household food security, and a stronger stimulus to the rest of the economy.
A Green Paper on Agricultural Policy will be published during 1998.
Agricultural markets have been deregulated since the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act came into effect last year. Marketing control boards have been closed and trusts established to develop the marketing system. The new National Agricultural Marketing Council, representative also of small farmers and labour, will increasingly concentrate on promoting competition and integrating small and emerging farmers into the mainstream.
The Land Bank has been restructured with a new mandate, board and management. It can provide new financial services to a wider range of clients. Among other things, rural women will be able to borrow as little as R250 from the Bank.
The impact of change is encouraging. Agriculture has grown in the past few years, after a period of stagnation. The private sector, including small and medium enterprises, is expanding and diversifying in production, processing and trade. Agricultural exports, mainly from high-value labour-intensive production, are growing faster than any other sector of the economy.
Progress is being made towards implementing the SADC Free Trade Protocol. However, restricted access for South African exports to EU markets will affect future growth and job-creation.
After extensive consultation, including a national conference, the path towards land reform was mapped out in a White Paper adopted in 1997.
The Department is developing a uniform system of land administration in consultation with the provinces. The Development Facilitation Act, 1995, creates a new framework for democratic land use, planning and development- it is being implemented and land development tribunals have been set up in seven provinces.
The pace of land reform has increased rapidly since it started in 1994. New legislation which was passed last year and will be passed this year, will speed it up still more.
Reform of the Performing Arts Councils began when new and more representative boards were appointed and facilities were opened to a broader spectrum of artists.
Now each province is being encouraged to establish its own performing institutions. Museums are transforming towards a National Museum Service to promote the heritage of all South Africans.
The Legacy Project is formulating a portfolio of heritage projects for adoption during 1998, to promote accessible and inviting commemorative sites that are seen as an expression of a living heritage and can therefore be developed sustainably.
The Cultural Industries Growth Strategy will develop the potential for arts and culture to contribute to the economy and to create employment. The cultural industries include craft, film, television, music, and the publishing and multi-media sectors. Cultural tourism and the craft industry will play a significant role in several of the SDls. Business Arts South Africa, established last year, facilitates a partnership of Government and the private sector in the sponsorship of the arts.
The National Archives Act came into force in 1997. It commits the Service to transparency and accountability, RDP imperatives and to high standards. The senior management team was restructured with a transformation unit to foster democratisation.
A draft National Language Plan has been drawn up along the lines of recommendations made by the Language Plan Task Group, for discussion during 1998. Multilingualism, which the Task Group strongly supported, will be promoted by a Multilingualism Awareness Campaign. The PanSouth African Language Board has been functioning since 1996. A new National Language Service, which will follow the Board's recommendations, will be set up in 1998.
The 1997 Science and Technology (S&T) White Paper established policies for S&T in support of national goals. A number of initiatives which started in 1997 and will be completed this year will enhance the impact of S&T on economic and social development.
A review of the science councils, now completed, will provide a basis for a better system of innovation and greater accountability and transparency. A national audit of the strengths and weaknesses of the research system and a research and technology foresight exercise will also be completed this year. The foresight exercise will guide South Africa on future technologies with a global role.
Government has declared 1998 the Year of Science and Technology in order to create S&T awareness and interest, especially among young people.
The Telecommunications Act, 1996, has fundamentally changed this sector. The Department now concentrates on policy: the other functions were transferred to a new regulatory body, the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA), and a new Universal Service Agency.
Proposals to merge SATRA and the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) will be published this year.
A cluster of Ministries will develop a strategy to improve government services by using information technology.
The 1998 White Paper on Postal Policy will lead to new legislation and restructuring of the Post Office. Both management and unions are involved in a campaign to combat crime, in response to mail violation and theft.
Legislation is being prepared to allow the Post Office to be the country's only lottery agency.
The sale of 30 per cent of Telkom equity was completed during 1997. This investment allows Telkom to roll out three million telephones in six years and to restructure Telkom for universal access. After installing 421,000 telephones during 1997/8, Telkom plans for 580,000 the following year.
During 1998 Telkom should sell the 10 per cent of its shares allocated to black economic empowerment and telecommunications employees.
A central aim in restructuring telecommunications services is access for all South Africans to information resources in education, medicine and other sectors, wherever they are.
A plan to reallocate the use of the radiofrequency spectrum in a way that enhances growth, productivity and socio-economic development, is being implemented through Project SABRE (South African Band Replanning Exercise).
A White Paper on Broadcasting Policy, following last year's Green Paper, will provide the basis for a new broadcasting law during 1998.
Following a review of the SABC, which was completed last year, progress has been made in right-sizing the organisation, improving programming and marketing, and bringing in new skills and talent.
The goal of freeing the air-waves was promoted by the sale of six regional radio stations, allowing new broadcasting entrepreneurs to emerge and promoting diversity of ownership. Eight new radio licences granted in 1997 and a new television licence granted this year represent an historical turning point in South African broadcasting. Having issued 88 short-term licences for community radio stations, the IBA will now be issuing four-year licences. South African and Danish government funding will help establish two community stations in each province in areas where communities are unable to establish them.
The sector's needs for highly skilled personnel are being promoted through a Human Resources Development Fund established under the Telecommunications Act.
Since the new Constitution took effect in 1997, a major effort of constitutional education has promoted the ethos of the Constitution and its contents. Twelve million copies were distributed during National Constitution Week in 1997.
Implementation of the Constitution is being monitored.
Two provinces have written provincial constitutions. The Constitutional Court did not certify that of KwaZulu-Natal but certified the Western Cape one the second time it was submitted.
The phased transition of local government continues. The integration of old structures and the appointment of transitional councils prepared the way for South Africa's first democratic local government elections in 1995/6. These elections took transformation into an interim phase. Following a comprehensive review and a Local Government White Paper Summit last year, policy will be finalised early in 1998 for the transformation of local government into a developmental sphere in its own right in the context of co-operative governance.
The financial status of many local authorities and their capacity for financial management causes concern. Project Viability is helping 130 municipalities experiencing difficulties in achieving financial stability through training and technical assistance.
More municipal capacity-building initiatives will be launched in 1998, and a White Paper on Disaster Management will be published.
The R1,3 billion Municipal Infrastructure Programme has reached 12 million people in more than 1,000 projects, employing 240,000 and training 78,000.
The Masakhane Campaign gained new momentum in 1997, building a strategic partnership between Government and communities. A Masakhane Focus Week and the President's Award for Community Initiative helped boost the campaign, as will again be the case in 1998.
Wide consultation has taken place on the establishment of the Commission for the Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities for which the new Constitution makes provision. Legislation is expected in 1998.
The National Council of Traditional Leaders was established in 1997 after all the provincial houses of traditional leaders had been set up. In order to clarify the role and position of traditional leaders, a policy document will be drafted in 1998 as a basis for a White Paper.
The Intergovernmental Forum and MinMEC (Ministers and Members of Executive Councils) structures have improved cooperation between spheres of government. National and provincial development programmes have become more coordinated. In 1997/8, for the first time, provinces received global budget allocations and drew up their own budgets. A discussion document on co-operative government will soon be published in preparation for a Green Paper.
The Department dealt with several interprovincial boundary disputes during 1997. Interim proposals include the interprovincial transfer of functions on an agency basis and cross-border delivery of services.
The treatment of offenders is changing in line with the Constitution and international practice. A new Correctional Services Bill will go to Parliament during 1998.
Changes include new youth development centres at Brandvlei and Ekuseni (and one at Baviaanspoort to open in 1998), and new programmes for juveniles. There is a more individualised approach to the development of offenders. Community service has reached most areas. Within the NCPS the Department is helping to strengthen the justice system.
Prison development seeks to eliminate overcrowding and enhance a human rights culture. A plan for electronic monitoring of parolees, probationers and awaiting-trial offenders in the community is awaiting Cabinet approval. This plan could reduce the prison population by 10,000.
The building programme has accelerated. Five new prisons have been commissioned since 1996 (Umzinto, Brandvlei, Porterville, Goodwood and Malmesbury) and two are at tender stage (Empangeni and Pietermaritzburg). A closed maximum security unit opened in Pretoria in 1997 and a super maximum prison is planned for Kokstad. Plans are afoot to build four new prisons in partnership with the private sector in Louis Trichardt, Boksburg, Bloemfontein and Barberton.
Prison security has been strengthened under the NCPS, through the erection of electrified security fences at 19 prisons. Another 21 will be electrified during 1998.
Transparency has been increased by promoting public participation in parole policy design; active support for the TRC and Human Rights Commission; support for community law centres in monitoring children held under Section 29; participation in a Transformation Forum, and briefings to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee. The Department has exposed prisons and prisoners to the media (through, for example, choirs).
Communities are represented on Correctional Boards and on the Parole Boards to be established during 1998, as well as on the National Advisory Council. A greater role for NGOs and communitybased organisations in literacy training and prisoner motivation has increased community involvement. Community safety centres will be set up in 1998 as part of the NCPS, each with a community corrections office to monitor and reintegrate offenders.
The Department has been demilitarised since 1996. Training now emphasises participative management and a human rights culture. The year 2000 target of having 70 per cent of staff from those who had previously been underrepresented, has already been achieved. The Management Board is now representative and a new commissioner has been appointed.
A national consensus on defence has emerged through the 1996 White Paper; and the Defence Review, whose first phase Parliament has adopted. During 1998, the Review will be completed and the Military Disciplinary Code and Defence Act rewritten.
Military and civilian functions have been separated through the establishment of the Defence Secretariat. The Secretary of Defence controls expenditure on behalf of the Minister. A Civic Education Programme is instilling democratic values throughout the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
Integration and demobilisation of the eight former forces is completed. Provincial commands will gradually be phased out.
The Defence Force is downsizing from 100,000 to a peacetime target of 70,000 through demobilisation, voluntary severance, retirement and resignation. Assistance to those leaving includes: demobilisation and retrenchment packages; Service Corps training; assistance from veterans' associations, and struggle pensions for former Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) and Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA) members who qualify. A Directorate of Military Veteran Affairs is to be established.
The Force is becoming more representative: it is now 69 per cent black and 19 per cent female. There are 13 black generals, including the first black woman general and the first black head of an arm of service.
A reduced Defence Budget and strict control of the arms industry reflect continuing demilitarisation. Compulsory national conscription has been replaced with an allvolunteer force. A new Defence Liaison Council made up of business and labour leaders will promote the part-time force.
During 1997, South Africa declared a comprehensive ban on anti-personnel mines and destroyed over 240,000 mines. Government chaired the Oslo conference and signed the banning convention that emerged from it.
South Africa joined seven other SADC countries in the Blue Hungwe peacesupport exercise in Zimbabwe in 1997. SANDF humanitarian support has included airlifting medical supplies, mine clearance and food for Rwandan refugees. The Department participates in SADC bodies concerned with peace support; disaster relief; counter-coup measures and early warning systems. The South African Navy has been in joint exercises with foreign forces, and an International Fleet Review in Cape Town marked the Navy's seventy-fifth anniversary.
Within the NCPS, up to 8,000 troops have been deployed to assist the South African Police Service (SAPS). The Army has taken over border patrolling. It has assisted other departments in drought relief, flood relief, immunisation, and the national census. Defence acquisition, managed jointly with the departments of Finance, and Trade and Industry, is being structured to bring substantial investment in the economy.
A single, unified and non-racial education system has been established. Policy for such a system has been created through commissions, White Papers and legislation. This year a report on gender equity and Green Papers on Further Education and Training and on Learners with Special Education Needs will be drafted. The emphasis will shift from policy development to service delivery through more focused collaboration between national and provincial departments.
The Interim Constitution opened the school system to all learners, and the South African Schools Act, 1996, established formal unity. General education is now compulsory for all children, and almost all of the 30,000 public schools have now elected governing bodies.
A new national curriculum based on the principles of outcomes-based education was introduced in all Grade 1 classes in January 1998. New policy and a national Early Childhood Development Pilot Project are steps toward a compulsory reception year for all children. The consequences of apartheid education are reflected in poor senior certificate results, and high repetition and dropout rates. As a result, special attention is being given to building the capacity of teachers to address this.
The School Register of Needs survey, completed last year, detailed the massive inherited infrastructure backlogs and provided a good basis for planning investment. The RDP programmes for school refurbishment and school building are being completed, and a new phase of investment is beginning under the MTEF. The Primary School Nutrition Programme reached 4.9 million children in 1997.
The 1997 White Paper on Higher Education and Higher Education Act, 1997, set the scene for transformation of the system. A new Council on Higher Education will be established in 1998. Students have been assisted with more than R1 billion in grants and loans through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
The national Campaign on the Culture of Learning, Teaching and Service launched last year is making a strong impact, especially through mobilising opinion and building community partnerships.
A new policy and multi-year plan for adult basic education and training have been adopted, and 150,000 adult learners have been targeted for 1998.
Some 8,000 secondary school teachers were trained last year in life skills and HIV/Aids education, and the project will expand in 1998.
A national Education Management Development Institute and a provincial assistance unit in the Department are being established to address problems related to poor management capacity.
South Africa has resumed membership of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and will host the seventh Unesco Ministers or Education in Africa Conference during 1998, as well as the SADC ministerial meeting on human resource development.
Tourism development is being promoted through training and education; prominence of tourism in SDls which empower previously marginalised entrepreneurs, and attention to tourist safety. Sixteen per cent more foreigners visit South Africa per year than three years ago.
Implementation of the White Paper on Tourism Development and Promotion will be assisted by a Tourism in Gear Policy. This is aimed at foreign exchange earnings of R23 billion by the year 2000, 300,000 new jobs and an increase in tourism's contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) from 4,5 to 8 per cent.
A new South African Tourism (Satour) Board was appointed in 1997 with the brief to restructure the organisation and improve international marketing. International links are developing around South Africa's membership of the World Tourist Organisation and the Council of the Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa. The Department is the SADC's contact point for tourism.
A White Paper on National Environmental Management to be finalised during 1998 will introduce a new framework for environmentally sustainable development. Environmental management has become an important aspect of the SDls, and Environmental Impact Assessment is now compulsory for all major development projects.
A Policy for Integrated Pollution Control and Waste Management is being developed to streamline the system and to reduce duplication and fragmentation.
A White Paper on the protection of the country's biological diversity, adopted last year, will be implemented in 1998. The Global Environmental Facility has approved funding for the Table Mountain Project and the Biodiversity Support Programme. South Africa continues to be active with regard to the environment in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean. South Africa ratified the World Heritage Convention last year and is nominating three sites for World Heritage status, namely Robben Island, the St Lucia Wetlands and the Sterkfontein Hominid Site.
Legislation on a National Fisheries Policy will be drafted during 1998, to promote restructuring of the industry and environmental protection. Pending restructuring, interim relief is being provided for impoverished fishers. Co-operation with SADC in building capacity and sharing expertise is increasing.
The South African Weather Bureau is the regional specialised meteorological centre responsible for providing forecasting products. The Bureau is also giving training opportunities to meteorologists and technicians from the region and technical assistance to some other countries. Co-operation within SADC includes water resource management.
Transformation and restructuring of the Department are guided by the Constitution, policies and demand for delivery that democracy has brought about. Black representivity has increased by 42 per cent and gender by 29 per cent.
The Government reduced the fiscal deficit from 5.2 per cent of GDP in 1996/7 to 4.3 per cent in 1997/8, and a 3,5 per cent deficit is planned for 1998/9. Although GDP growth was lower than anticipated, during1997/8 improved financial management and tax collection combined with careful expenditure management to maintain a sound fiscal environment.
Substantial progress has been made in reallocating apartheid-type expenditures, and the 1997/8 budget shifted expenditure towards social development and poverty alleviation.
Government initiated a major budget reform in 1997 with the initiation of three-year budgeting within a MTEF to take effect with the 1997/8 budget. Nineteen ninety-seven was also the first year in which provinces received an equitable share of revenue from the national treasury according to a formula developed by the Fiscal and Financial Commission, and were required to develop their own budgets.
Monetary policy is constrained by a combination of factors, namely the level of reserves, exposed forward cover and the balance of payments. While a depreciated rend brings opportunities for increased competitiveness, it can also import inflation. Attention has therefore been given to stabilising the currency, contributing to greater investor confidence and a strong inflow of capital in 1997.
The rate of inflation resumed its downward trend during 1997.
The phased relaxation of foreign exchange controls went a step further during 1997 with regard to the export of currency by individuals and investment in the SADC region.
Tax collection is a high priority. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has been restructured and is now autonomous within the Public Service. Revenue rose by 10,7 per cent in 1997/8 compared with the previous year. Over 30,000 taxpayers were registered or located through a tax-relief campaign in 1996/7.
A new chief directorate deals with development finance co-operation. Capacity is being developed in the departments of Finance and State Expenditure to meet the challenges of creative development financing and support for project management. Apart from carry-through costs of original projects, the funding of RDP objectives has been absorbed into the main budgets of departments and provinces.
The Government is committed to contributing to African Development Bank efforts to finance African development. The country's relationship with the World Bank has deepened: six grants have been received, and a Country Assistance Strategy is under way.
New foreign policy objectives have been refined through consultation around a Foreign Policy Discussion Document. South Africa has doubled its diplomatic ties since 1994. Altogether 97 foreign embassies and 59 consular missions have been established in South Africa.
Relations with southern Africa are a cornerstone of foreign policy. As SADC chair since 1996 South Africa co-operates with its neighbours for balanced regional development and regional stability. Exports to Africa have grown by 70 per cent in the three years 1995 to 1997 and imports by 58 per cent. As OAU member, South Africa assisted the Zaire/Congo peace process and worked with the DRC and other warravaged countries for reconstruction. Legislation to curtail South African-based mercenary activities and a draft White Paper on Peace-Support Operations will be put before Parliament during 1998.
Government has actively supported UN reform in line with the policies of the NAM and the African Group. We have taken initiatives on arms control in the Conference on Disarmament and other forums including conferences aimed at banning anti-personnel mines.
South Africa hosted the ninth United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) conference and will host the NAM Summit in 1998 and the Commonwealth Summit in 1999. Such events allow Government to help sharpen the focus on issues facing developing countries and to work for a new international order. South Africa has ratified a number of conventions including those on the rights of women, children and refugees, and will act as chair of the UN Human Rights Commission.
After integrating former so-called homeland structures, the Department was rationalised, which included making 250 staff redundant. Since 1994, 90 per cent of appointments and 48 per cent of foreign postings have been black. Sixteen Heads of Mission are women, 12 of them black. A Gender Unit and a Transformation Unit will apply the Department's affirmative action policy.
The former separate health departments have been integrated into one national health department with nine provincial departments and 45 regional offices. Free health care for pregnant mothers and young children was introduced in 1994 followed in 1996 by universal access to primary health care. A National Health Bill will be introduced in 1998 to keep up the momentum of improvements.The implementation of other developments charted in the White Paper on the Transformation of the Health System will be completed by the year 2000.
Together with stakeholders, a policy on national health insurance has been developed and legislation for better control of medical aid schemes will go to Parliament during 1998. A new Drug Policy launched in 1996, including the Essential Drugs Programme, and legislation passed in 1997 will, when implemented, help bring more affordable drugs to all and hence more affordable health care.
By bringing 300 foreign doctors, mostly Cuban, to work in under-served areas Government has promoted access to health care. Community service for newly graduated doctors will begin during 1998.
Following the introduction of free health care for young children and pregnant mothers, at least two thirds of women say they find access to health care much easier. Maternal deaths were made a notifiable condition in 1997 in an effort to reduce them. Since the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act took effect in February 1997, over 15,000 women have had legal terminations.
South Africa has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and launched the National Programme of Action for Children jointly with the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
During 1997 Government exceeded its plans for building or upgrading 500 clinics.
Since April 1994, Government and nongovernmental sources were responsible for the building of 504 new clinics, bringing access to primary health care to an estimated five million more people.
R100 million has been budgeted for the coming year for hospital rehabilitation and reconstruction. Hospital management will be improved through a programme of decentralisation.
In 1995 the Department embarked on national immunisation campaigns. Coverage during 1997 was about 80 per cent for polio and measles. A new strategy to combat TB was introduced in 1996, and accelerated in 1997.
Increasing resources have been committed to combating HlV/Aids, and a campaign to change behaviour on a national scale has been launched under the leadership of an interministerial committee. A joint life skills programme with the Department of Education was launched in 1997 to train secondary school teachers who will implement the programme in schools from this year.
In line with the new Constitution and new policies, legislation has been enacted to normalise citizenship and passport rights; to change registration of births and deaths; to regulate marriages, and to achieve publications control and control of illegal immigrants. The Film and Publication Act passed in 1996 increased the autonomy of the new Board and the Review Board.
A draft Refugee Bill will be tabled in Parliament this year. Legislation on the Marriage Act will be drafted after recommendations from the South African Law Commission, and a discussion document on customary union has already been released for public comment. A White Paper on Immigration Policy is expected in 1998, based on last year's Green Paper.
Since the beginning of 1997, there have been 11,000 applications for identity documents (IDs) per day, on average. The Department has taken steps to deal with this unprecedented work load. The goal is for every South African of 16 years and above to have a legitimate, unforgeable ID. A new machine-readable passport was introduced during 1996 and preparations for a new automated fingerprint identification system and identity card are at an advanced stage.
South Africa co-operates closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and became a member of the International Organisation for Migration in 1997. Visa-issuing offices in all missions have been computerised and linked to promote efficiency and to prevent abuse.
Deportations from South Africa have been increasing steadily since 1990. Measures are being taken to address this serious strain on the country's resources.
After bilateral discussions with SADC countries, a draft protocol has been adopted on facilitating the movement of people in the region. Over 200,000 people have applied for the exemption granted to Mozambican refugees and SADC citizens who were in South Africa for five years before 30 June 1991. Ultimately, the solution of problems relating to illegal entry and residence requires economic development of the entire region.
The Constitution requires an Independent Electoral Commission, and commissioners were appointed in 1997. In preparation for the 1999 election, efforts are being made to ensure that all eligible voters register. This includes the provision of more mobile units for rural areas and an ID campaign to be launched in 1998.
A gender desk has been established and substantial progress made with affirmative action. In order to enhance efficiency, fundamental restructuring as well as a plan to improve service delivery will take effect during the year.
Most problems relating to and obstacles in the way of delivery have been isolated, and the necessary adjustments made. Several national institutions have been established to facilitate sustainable housing delivery and they were all operating by the end of 1996.
Never before have so many low-cost units been under construction. After the period devoted mainly to clearing the obstacles to housing delivery, there has been a substantial acceleration, especially since early 1997.
By the end of 1997, 469,000 houses were completed or under construction under the subsidy scheme, and more than 700,000 subsidies allocated.
Owing to government programmes launched since 1994, 1.2 million people now have a permanent roof over their heads; 500,000 people own the home they have lived in for many years, and the accommodation of 75,000 hostel residents has been upgraded.
Capacity is being developed in provincial and local spheres of government, NGOs, communities and homeless people. This includes the People's Housing Partnership, which was established in 1997; the National Capacitation Programme, which helps ensure that provincial housing departments and municipalities have the capacity to carry out their housing functions, and measures to improve the efficiency of housing boards.
Joint-venture operations will be facilitated to provide higher density housing at scale, and a wide range of tenure choices are now being made available, including freehold, rental and social housing options.
The promotion of rental stock is part of the housing subsidy policy, and a review is being conducted to give effect to this.
The 1997 Housing Act abolishes all apartheid housing legislation. It replaces it with a single Act reflecting the new priorities of South Africa's democracy. It creates a framework for housing action by the three spheres of government in line with current housing policy. It will be implemented from April this year.
To restore the Rule of Law, Government needs to restructure the legal system and its institutions to promote accessibility and democracy. A strategic plan entitled 'Justice Vision 2000' is being used to draft a White Paper on the Administration of Justice. New institutions such as the Public Protector's Office, Judicial Service Commission, Constitutional Court, Human Rights Commission and Gender Commission have been set up to nurture a human rights culture and promote transformation in line with the Constitution.
The South African Law Commission, the Rules Board for Courts and the Legal Aid
Board have been restructured. A legal aid system has been developed.
New laws are ensuring uniform administration of justice, the courts and legal practice. The new lay assessor system encourages community participation. This year the public defender system will be extended; a National Director of Public Prosecutions appointed; sentencing guidelines for serious crimes will be developed, and citizens' advice desks will be established in courts.
More people are laying charges and testifying in court, and the criminal process is being made more speedy. Legislation has closed legal loopholes and strengthened the hands of judicial officers to deal with organised crime, reduce delays and to promote international co-operation. The bail laws have been tightened and witness protection strengthened.
The administration of bail is being changed through pre-trial services which will improve witness protection and reduce the number of awaiting-trial prisoners. The Department has strengthened its capacity to deal promptly with allegations of serious maladminstration and corruption, even within the Department.
South Africa's new justice system has a strong focus on women and children. There are new guidelines for sexual offence victims and business plans for community safety centres. The South African Law Commission is investigating the law regarding maintenance, domestic violence, juvenile justice and child care.
A National Plan of Action to help realise human rights will be launched in December 1998, when the fiftieth anniversary of the UN's adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is commemorated.
Courts are being made more user-friendly and their management and coordination improved. Two reports of the Hoexter Commission will lead to legislation to rationalise the courts during 1998.
A Family Courts Pilot Project will soon establish six family courts to deal with divorce, maintenance, children and family violence. Court management is being improved to combat corruption in the justice system.
With the 11 former departments now integrated, induction and training programmes are being implemented. Almost 40 per cent of magistrates and half the prosecutors and the Department's staff and management are black. R20 million has been spent on upgrading the Attorney-General's Office with modern technology and equipment.
A new Labour Market Chief Directorate oversees research and collation of statistics. Research projects are helping to enhance labour market efficiency and monitor the impact of labour market policies. A major document on Labour Market Policy has been completed as part of the Department's work to coordinate formulation of an employment strategy for discussion with social partners leading up to the 1998 Jobs Summit.
The pre-1994 system has been integrated to create one national labour department and to rationalise statutory bodies linked to the Ministry. New representative management appointments have been made. Longer-term restructuring is guided by a strategy formulated in 1996.
A Green Paper on Mining and Minerals Policy was launched in February 1998 and a White Paper should be ready later in the year. The White Paper will guide the use of the country's mineral wealth for the benefit of the whole population.
A Draft White Paper on Energy will be released during 1998. It will emphasise equity, efficiency, and environmental sustainability of energy services. New legislation to regulate mining and energy, including electricity, will be tabled this year.
During 1997, the Mining Qualifications Authority and the Mine Health and Safety Council were established. The Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996, was fully implemented by January 1998.
Discussions with employers and unions are taking place to find ways of minimising retrenchments in gold mining. These talks include facilitating beneficiation and smallscale mining. Small-scale mining is being promoted by investment promotion strategies that eliminate barriers. Government and private sector also give support to new entrepreneurs: Ikwezi Colliery, OTR mining and Eyethu are recent successful examples.
Development of the Mossgas satellite fields and phasing-down of financial aid to Sasol continue. Work is being done on the restructuring of the liquid fuels industry.
In order to reduce the impact of energy on the environment, unleaded petrol has been introduced; motor pollution is being monitored; radioactive waste management has been improved; environmentally friendly energy sources are being promoted, and clean coal technology is being evaluated.
Each year since 1994, electricity has reached hundreds of thousands of homes. In 1997, 428,000 homes were electrified by Eskom or local authorities. The most rural provinces have benefited most.
Government's participation in SADC and co-operation with countries in the region have developed. The SADC Energy and Mining Protocols promotes enhanced cooperation. The Southern African Power Pool is paving the way to a regional electricity grid and a coordination centre will be established in Harare in 1998. The Cahora Bassa hydroelectric project has been restored and electricity will flow to South Africa as soon as price negotiations have been concluded.
The Department promotes technical training through its own activities (50 trained mine inspectors will be placed by yearend) and through associated institutions such as Mintek, the Geoscience Council and the Atomic Energy Corporation.
In conjunction with employers and unions, it actively promotes adult basic education and training in the mining industry.
The Ministry and Office for Public Enterprises manage six state-owned assets with the goal of furthering the public interest and maximising their contribution to national economic growth and development.
All six have undergone transformation through affirmative action, democratised decision-making and orientation towards stakeholders. Procurement and outsourcing are being managed to assist economic empowerment - significant auditing and legal services are outsourced to black companies and procurement is being opened to small black business suppliers.
An ongoing audit of assets owned by state enterprises points to idle or under-utilised assets that might be effectively used for small business development, housing and job-creation.
In 1998 focus will be on implementing the framework for corporate governance of state-owned enterprises. Government will examine the need for establishing new strategic state-owned enterprises, for example in the liquid fuels industry or in housing by consolidating the housing portfolios of state-owned enterprises and combining them with existing parastatals.
Guidelines for the restructuring of state assets adopted by Cabinet in 1995 have been shaping the process of restructuring. HBSC Investment Bank is the government advisor for the process.
Structures established under the National Framework Agreement negotiated between Government and labour have kept the restructuring programme within the broad time frames set for it.
The sale of six regional radio stations in 1996 started the process. The next year Telkom acquired a strategic equity partner and Sun Air was sold. During 1998, SM and the Airports Company will acquire strategic equity partners and Autonet will be privatised. Aventura is to be completely privatised and there are five bids to purchase it. A transaction advisor will recommend the best way forward in the restructuring of Safcol. The management of Alexkor's various operations will first be transferred by tender to private companies who will later have the option of acquiring significant equity.
In terms of the National Framework Agreement, a social plan is taking shape for employees adversely affected by restructuring. Priority is being given to finalising the plan through Nedlac and in conjunction with the Department of Labour.
Having started from a weak position in terms of skills, the Ministry and Department expanded and restructured to become more effective.
The enhancement of the Ministry's capacity to manage state-owned assets and the restructuring process itself is being promoted by Project 2000, in collaboration with Warwick University. This project is designed to expose middle and senior managers to international state-of-the-art management techniques, practices and technology.
A transformation unit and a human resource development committee have successfully promoted gender and race representation in management.
The Public Service was transformed by integrating the old apartheid administrations and this has required rationalisation of structures, reprioritisation of activities towards reconstruction and development, and right-sizing of personnel numbers.
The Public Service has shrunk by more than 100,000 posts over the past two years. This has been partly due to the short-term measures of abolishing funded vacancies (25,000 posts) and voluntary severance packages (48,000 posts by September 1997). Funds saved by abolishing funded vacancies in 1997/8 were used for improvements in conditions of service.
However, rationalisation and reprioritisation have not been fully matched by corresponding reduction in personnel. This will be addressed during 1998 in the context of comprehensive discussions with unions and the need to find ways of facilitating the transition of individuals into other areas of the economy. More effective steps will be taken to deal with the problem of 'ghost workers', particularly in provincial governments.
The Batho Pele/People First Initiative is aimed at a service-orientated Public Service. A Code of Conduct was launched in June 1997 to help eliminate malpractice, corruption and poor service. Information technology is being used to improve services delivered.
To coordinate public sector reform, interprovincial and national transformation committees have been established.
Amendments to the Public Service Act will, during 1998, redefine the roles of the Public Service Commission and the Minister; devolve powers to Ministers and MECs, and enable the issuing of revised Public Service regulations.
The new 14-member Public Service Commission which was established by the Constitution, replacing the former national and provincial commissions, should be appointed during 1998.
The new salary grading system developed in 1996 will be implemented over three years. It simplifies personnel administration; improves career-pathing, and reduces the wage gap in the Public Service. A personnel performance management system, a job evaluation system and a code of remuneration will be phased in during 1998. White Papers on a New Employment Policy for the Public Service and Affirmative Action will be implemented.
Managing and developing human resources will be a priority during 1998, based on the White Paper on Human Resource Management in the Public Service. The aim is a civil service that strives to meet the objectives of public service rather than one that is merely rule-bound.
A coherent training policy is outlined in the 1996 White Paper on Public Service Training and Education. The Public Service and Training Authority, once established, will ensure uniform provision of training.
A EU-South African Public Service Management Development Programme was launched in 1997 to train 65,000 people. To build capacity at lower levels, the bursary scheme has been extended to study for pre-tertiary qualifications and for acquiring basic numeracy and literacy. The South African Management Development Institute, with the help of foreign training institutes, has been repositioned to address the needs of transformation.
Public Works has transformed itself from its traditional functions as the 'state's landlord' to include the promotion of development as part of its contribution to Government's socio-economic objectives.
Its core functions have been redefined to promote efficient delivery of services to Government and society as a whole.
The National Public Works Programme incorporated as a core function, has a section that develops policy, helps transform the construction sector and works with the Community-based Public Works Programme. Project management has become a core function and most of the traditional construction work is outsourced to the private sector. In 1997, coordination of government infrastructure delivery, previously an area of critical weakness, was made a Public Works responsibility.
The strategic role of the Department into the next century is outlined in a 1997 White Paper. A Green Paper develops a strategy to promote stability in the construction industry, foster growth and international competitiveness, while generating new capacity and addressing imbalances.
Affirmative policies are opening access for small and emerging business to public sector procurement and to architectural, engineering and survey work. Since August 1996, 47,3 per cent of tenders went to companies with Previously Disadvantaged Individual (PDI) equity (compared with fewer than 5 per cent before 1994).
A new model of public-private partnership in the provision of infrastructure (Asset Procurement and Operating Partnerships) has been successfully developed and is being introduced.
Public Works programmes contribute to poverty alleviation, job-creation and infrastructure development. The Communitybased Public Works Programme, targeted mainly at rural communities, was allocated R85 million for poverty relief during 1997: This was used mainly in the provinces most affected by poverty, namely KwaZuluNatal, Eastern Cape and the Northern Province.
So far, more than a thousand projects have been funded to provide sanitation, road building, water provision, environmental protection, clinics, creches, schools and community halls.
The programme, which has created over 140,000 jobs, 19,000 of them sustainable, has been redefined to meet new challenges.
The transformation of policing has focused on two things required for effective policing, namely establishing the legitimacy of the police, and developing policing skills and structures appropriate to democracy. As legitimacy has taken root and action continues to deal with corruption within the Service, the focus has shifted to improving the investigative capacity of the SAPS. South Africa's first Detective Academy was established in 1997. Canacitv will be the priority for 1998.
To help eliminate abuse of police power, the Independent Complaints Directorate was established in 1997. In its first four months it handled nearly 500 complaints, including 256 relating to deaths in custody or as a result of police action. This directorate will be strengthened during 1998.
The implementation of police plans and the strategies linked to them have helped reduce general levels of crime through more effective policing at local level, community co-operation and better use of intelligence.
Early successes included a massive reduction in political violence in KwaZulu-Natal. Coordination with the SANDF in highdensity operations has improved security in trouble spots and farming areas.
Statistics released at the end of 1997 demonstrate the successes and the problem areas. Although the figures do show a general decrease in levels of reported crime, the level is still unacceptably high. An exception to the decreases in the rate of serious crimes is an increase in reports of rape, and there are also localities which did not share in the national trends.
Legal changes have narrowed the space for criminals and strengthened the hands of judicial officers and police. This includes laws administered by the Department of Justice (affecting extradition, international police co-operation, proceeds of crime, entrapment, undercover operations and the use of force during arrest), and the Safety Matters Rationalisation Bill, 1996, (affecting internal security, explosives, intimidation and the regulation of gatherings).
Reducing the number of international commercial airports and border entry points will reduce opportunities for crime.
A crime prevention coordination unit in the Secretariat for Safety and Security, and 7Orums within the SAPS are coordinating interdepartmental processes. The NCPS is promoting close co-operation with other Ministries. Crime prevention summits have been held in all nine provinces and provincial multi-agency mechanisms will facilitate implementation of plans.
Priorities for 1998 are those set in 1997: crimes against women and children; organised crime; the possession of illegal firearms and corruption in the justice system. More emphasis will be placed on policing in the metropolitan areas, especially Johannesburg. A White Paper for Safety and Security will further efforts to achieve police effectiveness.
Although persisting prejudice hinders deracialisation of sport, progress is being made in close co-operation with the Health and Education departments. A White Paper on the Transformation of Sport approved by Cabinet in 1997 will provide the framework for legislation to promote change and make sport equally available to all.
The Department provides financial support for sport development at all levels and has a programme to encourage women's involvement in sport.
To promote the provision of basic facilities for previously disadvantaged communities, the Department organised a Facilities Convention during 1996. Sympathetic organisations in the country and experts from abroad developed a plan to address imbalances of the past.
A R50 million basic facility project has so far spent R40 million on building 126 basic outdoor facilities. An indoor multi-purpose project launched in Sebokeng last year is the first of nine that will be built - one in each province. These projects should be completed by the end of the 1998/9 financial year. The emphasis will then shift to upgrading existing facilities.
Invitations will soon be extended for proposals for developing the Nasrec site as a sport and recreation complex, for construction to begin in 1999.
A new Sport Information and Science Agency will enhance both elite and grassroots participation. A Sport Information Centre and a Website were established in 1997 to provide information that can help improve performance.
The SANGALA programme was launched in 1996 to involve more people in physical activity programmes. Some 2,400 community leaders and officials have completed initial training and 250,000 people have participated in the programme - the target for 1998 is for 500,000 people. About two million people took part in Wellness Day and four million are expected to do so this year.
The Department is helping fight crime through the Sport Against Crime Project. To promote health it hosted a conference with the Department of Health on HlV/Aids in sport.
Several international agreements have been reached, mainly to boost capacity building in black communities, with a focus on administrators, grounds managers, coaches and volunteers. The Department has subsidised costs of participation of South African teams in international events.
Policy has been developed to promote trade relations for a globalised economy: an industrial strategy for competitiveness and productivity, and equitable trade and commercial practices that encourage trade and investment and foster opportunities for participation in the economy.
Industrial strategy is based on extensive research and analysis, including the findings of working groups comprising organised business and labour, to identify conditions to improve competitiveness and the creation of employment in particular sectors. Supply-side measures are promoting productivity and competitiveness.
One of the biggest programmes is for small, medium and micro enterprises. It creates a supportive environment for this sector, and several institutions have been created for this purpose.
The following set of support measures is facilitating investment:
The Department is engaged in two major negotiations which will lead to free trade areas, with SADC and the KU, within five and 12 years respectively. The South African Customs Union is also being renegotiated. South Africa participates increasingly in multilateral forums such as the
World Trade Organisation, UNCTAD and other UN agencies, helping to keep development issues high on the international agenda.
The Department's Global Economic Strategy Project has identified untapped market potential in Africa, Latin America and Asia, and indicated that Government should focus on strengthening links with these areas. Since 1994, there has been significant growth in trade with African countries.
Exports are being promoted by market research, participation in trade fairs and inward and outward trade missions.
The new policy, outlined in the 1996 Transport White Paper, shifts Government from operations to policy, planning and regulation. The policy will base delivery of infrastructure and services on public-private partnerships, promote contracting-out of rail services, and draw the taxi industry into the formal transport system. It will also address the carnage on South African roads.
In this context, the Department has established three 'arm's-length' agencies to manage roads, maritime safety and crossborder transport and a fourth (aviation safety) will soon follow. These agencies will be funded through partnerships, user charges or levies. The formation of the agencies and a focus on core functions will reduce the Department to 220 by 1999 from the present level of over 1,000.
The Moving South Africa Project, to develop a 20-year strategic plan for transport in South Africa, should be completed during 1998.
Developing a customer-orientated public transport system is a priority.
Interim contracts with all subsidised operators have replaced the bus subsidy system, to promote competitiveness and sensitivity to community needs.
Commuter rail services are being shifted to a concession-type contract which will create incentives for better and more efficient service.
The National Taxi Task Team has developed a framework for addressing taxirelated violence. It is based on regulation and control; formalisation and training, and economic assistance. Extensive consultation laid the ground for implementation, including grassroots consensus. By the end of 1997, 95 per cent of taxi associations were registered. Co-operation between the departments of Transport, Justice and Safety and Security is a key to success.
Road construction is a major investment in infrastructure. Some projects have been completed and others are in various stages of tender or construction. Private sector participation is critical, and contracts are structured to promote empowerment, growth and development.
The N1 toll road opened last year. Bidding on the N3 toll road has closed and a tender will be awarded this year. A tender should also be awarded this year for the N4 Platinum toll road, from Pretoria to Botswana, completing a link from Maputo on the East Coast to Walvis Bay on the West.
The Maputo Development Corridor reached financial closure last year and toll road construction will start during 1998. Construction of a key road in the Lubombo SDI linking northern KwaZulu-Natal with southern Mozambique started in 1997.
As part of a comprehensive plan to reduce road deaths by 10 per cent by the year 2000, a computerised National Traffic Information System is being established. The new credit card-type driver's licence, now being introduced, will help eradicate fraudulent licences and strengthen enforcement. The Arrive Alive safety campaign over the 1997 December holidays helped reduce deaths and provided valuable lessons for a sustainable programme to reduce road deaths.
The Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme was started as a Presidential Lead Project in 1994 to provide basic services to all.
Over 1,300 projects have been initiated to provide ready access to clean water to 6.8 million people (about half the national backlog) and sanitation to 100,000. By February 1998, community water supply had reached 1.7 million people.
The 1997 White Paper on a National Water Policy opened a new era in managing South Africa's water resources on a fair, efficient and sustainable basis. It emphasises water conservation and envi ronmental protection.
Water legislation is being redrafted entirely. The Water Services Act, 1997, defined new responsibilities for all spheres of government, and a National Water Bill is now before Parliament.
The successful National Water Conservation campaign includes a School Education Programme, a new water pricing policy and the Working for Water Campaign. The last-mentioned is a Public Works programme, greatly expanded in 1997 by R150 million as part of Government's poverty-relief programme, which made it possible to employ on a short-term basis and train 40,000 previously unemployed people to eradicate alien vegetation from water catchments.
Construction of dams is increasing water supplies and improving flood protection:
The Forestry White Paper and the establishment of the National Forestry Advisory Council in 1996 were milestones.
The National Forestry Action Plan translates the White Paper policies into practical action and a Forestry Bill to go to Parliament this year will promote sustainable and equitable management of forestry.
The White Paper emphasises community forestry. Three million trees hayed been planted under the Community Forestry Programme and one million trees will be planted each year for the next three years.
An audit in 1996 helped incorporate the Commercial forests of former homelands hto the Department. The Department's Commercial component is being made more viable, and options for restructuring are being investigated. A decision on the restructuring is expected by the end of the year.
The 1997 White Paper for Social Welfare repositions welfare towards a developmental approach, shifting from reliance on institutional care towards use of community networks and care, while addressing past inequalities.
To realise this approach, a programme which will continue during 1998 has been launched to re-orientate social workers and equip them with appropriate skills. There is a wide range of initiatives to promote social and community integration of those in need of care and support.
The welfare partnership of Government and NGOs has been consolidated by the Notfor-Profit Act, 1997, which will create an enabling environment for such organisations, and a more flexible financial framework -both changes come into effect this year.
Welfare works closely with other departments. It leads the NCPS Victim Empowerment Programme which emphasises empowerment of women affected by rape and battery, and abused children. Other areas of co-operation include the National Plan of Action for Children; fighting the spread of HlV/Aids and ensuring care for its victims, and combating drug abuse and drug trafficking.
The White Paper on Population Policy, to be tabled in Parliament during 1998, will bring policy in line with international trends by integrating population concerns into the country's development policies.
The delivery of social grants and pensions is a high priority as an anti-poverty programme reaching nearly three million households a month. Parity in payments to beneficiaries has existed since April 1996.
With the previously separate social security systems amalgamated, there has been progress in eliminating inefficiency, duplication and removing from the system those who no longer qualify. Savings since early 1997 amount to R160 million a month. A new early warning system will help avoid management problems such as those experienced during 1997.
The new child support grant replaces the state maintenance grant from April 1998. It will reach about 378,000 children in the first year and three million by the end of five years.
The Flagship Programme for Unemployed Women with Children under Five, launched in 1996, has taken root in all provinces but one. To date, 1,000 women and 1 500 children are benefiting from this programme which aims to boost employment and skills as well as early childhood development.
The Department has also allocated R50 million of special poverty-relief funding received in the 1997/8 financial year to existing projects in all provinces.
A new child and youth care system has been designed by the Interministerial Committee on Young People at Risk. Since late 1997 the Department has been initiating the transformation of the system, developing minimum standards and establishing models for replication throughout the country.
The Secure Care Programme started in 1995. At least 3,000 child and youth care workers and 500 probation officers have received training, and by mid-1998 seven facilities will be opened. Project Go aims to ensure that the system is ready for the release of 1,400 children from prisons into alternative secure care facilities this year.