Pretoria - Cabinet has reiterated President Jacob Zuma’s call for all sectors of society to work together to support the South African economy and save jobs in the current economic environment.
Cabinet on Thursday released a statement, saying the pact between government, mining houses and labour unions demonstrates the commitment across all sectors to save jobs and reduce the impact of job losses.
“Cabinet calls on all South Africans to rally behind the implementation of the agreement. The pact serves as a blueprint for all sectors that face hurdles to save jobs,” said acting Cabinet spokesperson Phumla Williams in a statement.
The implementation of the Framework Agreement for a Sustainable Mining Industry was entered into by organised labour, organised business and government.
This week, organised labour, organised business and government have committed to prioritise saving jobs and ensuring sustainability of the mining industry, during the National Mining Consultative Forum meeting convened by President Zuma.
Updates on government work
Cabinet further said it received the Quarterly Outcomes Reports for the period 1 April to 30 June 2015, and it is pleased with the progress made and has also noted areas that require intervention.
It said the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) will coordinate media briefings to share information on the implementation of government programmes.
Cabinet also said it has received a briefing on the G20 meeting held in Ankara, Turkey, from 3 to 5 September 2015.
“… Cabinet noted that the global growth is falling short of expectations. However, Cabinet welcomed the renewed pledge by the G20 to continue to monitor developments, assess spillovers and address emerging risks as needed to foster confidence and financial stability.
“The G20 also welcomed the positive outcome of the Addis Ababa Conference on Financing for Development in which South Africa played a critical role as chair of the G77 plus China,” it said.
Energy
Cabinet said it also welcomes the inauguration and electricity switch-on of the Kouga Wind Farm in the Eastern Cape on 4 September.
It said the Kouga Wind Farm will provide about 300 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity annually.
“This will supply an average of 50 000 households. It is part of the country’s plan to diversify towards a more sustainable energy supply,” said Williams.
Municipal, ward demarcations
Cabinet has also commended the work of the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB), which recently completed the determination and redetermination of the outer boundaries of municipalities in eight provinces across the country.
“Cabinet has expressed deep concern about some political parties which have launched an attack on the MDB that seeks to undermine its independence and legitimacy in the eyes of the public.
“Cabinet calls on all political parties to desist from undermining the work of an important independent institution that supports our democracy. There are other avenues provided in law to challenge the decisions of the MDB,” said Williams.
Employment Equity (EE) reports
Cabinet has also reminded all employees to submit their Employment Equity (EE) reports to the Department of Labour. The EE reporting season opened on 1 September 2015 for both manual and online reporting, and it closes on 1 October 2015 for manual and 15 January 2016 for online respectively.
“Such reports assist the country to monitor the progress with regard to address discrimination and equity imbalances. The Department of Labour is undertaking national roadshows to strengthen implementation and ensure compliance,” said Williams. - SAnews.gov.za
