By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Cabinet has lauded the work done by former deputy president David Mabuza following his resignation as a Member of Parliament on Tuesday.
Mabuza’s resignation came after his request to President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down from his position following the ANC’s national conference in December.
The conference elected Paul Mashatile as the party’s deputy president.
“Deputy President Mabuza served with distinction and his contribution in building the country we want will forever be remembered by the people of South Africa,” Gungubele told the media during a briefing on this week’s cabinet meeting.
Gungubele said Mabuza had taken up the fight against the HIV/Aids pandemic and transformation in traditional leaders’ employment during his tenure as deputy president.
“Deputy President Mabuza has been allocated tasks by the president, whether it is on HIV, the transformation in the traditional leaders’ employment, then the rural development and even an Eskom task team and all those matters in terms of the records in front of the president, that the deputy president did carry.”
The past few years has seen Mabuza take extended medical leave, travelling to Russia for treatment. His motorcade was also involved in a crash in the run-up to the ANC’s national conference which left one of his security guards dead.
A 2018 investigation by The New York Times also found that Mabuza and his allies had allegedly siphoned money from Mpumalanga’s education system. The newspaper said some schools were built as an easy way to funnel money, while many more classrooms crumbled.
Mashatile is expected to move into Mabuza’s office in the Union Buildings when the president announces his cabinet reshuffle soon.
Cabinet on former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter
Cabinet has joined President Cyril Ramaphosa in his call to the former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter to report allegations of corruption at Eskom to the police.
“Our crime fighting institutions stand ready to arrest and prosecute those who break the law. We call on anyone with information related to crime and corruption to report what they know to the relevant law enforcement authorities,” Gungubele said on Thursday.
The President had encouraged de Ruyter to report allegations of corruption at Eskom during a media briefing at the conclusion of the hosting of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni for a State Visit at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Tuesday.
“All of us are duty bound to fight corruption and to the prescripts of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, which requires people in “positions of authority” in the public and private sectors to report, all corrupt activities,” Gungubele said.
Meanwhile, Cabinet has assured citizens that the commitments announced in the State of National Address and the National Budget allocations will strengthen the capability of the state to fast track interventions outlined in the Energy Action Plan.
The Energy Action Plan was developed through extensive consultation and endorsed by energy experts as providing the best and fastest path towards energy security.
Cabinet pleased with clearing of DNA testing backlog
Cabinet says it is pleased the South African Police Service (SAPS) has nearly cleared the DNA testing backlog at its forensic service laboratories.
Gungubele, said this breakthrough will ensure that gender-based violence-related cases are speedily resolved.
“The SAPS has also added additional DNA testing capacity with the completion of a forensic laboratory in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, which will ease pressure on the existing laboratory in the Western Cape,” Gungubele said.
Briefing the media on the latest crime statistics recently, Police Minister Bheki Cele said the SAPS has successfully cleared the DNA testing backlog at its forensic service laboratories, and this has resulted in the solving of thousands of gender-based violence-related cases.
Gungubele said government condemned the persistent cases of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) and continues to intensify its fight through several interventions.
Cabinet notes US alert
Cabinet has noted the alert issued by the United States (US) Embassy as part of the US government’s standard communication to its citizens travelling and living in the country.
It indicated a Level 2 travel advisory was in effect, advising them to exercise increased caution due to crime and civil unrest as well as to stockpile three days’ worth of supplies, medicines and first aid supplies.
“Government continuously monitors all areas that impact on our nation, any concern is acted upon swiftly to ensure the safety of everyone in the country. Should there be any risks detected, the government will be the first to inform the public,” Gungubele said.
He was addressing a media briefing on Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.
Cabinet approves plan for HIV, TB and STIs
Cabinet has approved the publication of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Tuberculosis (TB) and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) 2023-2028.
Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing held in Pretoria on Thursday, Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, said the NSP proposes to deal with HIV, STIs and TB through a holistic approach that includes preventative and therapeutic measures.
“This is the fifth NSP for HIV, TB and STIs and it outlines the progress South Africa has made to deal with the three diseases thus far. The five-year plan provides a strategic framework for a multi-sectoral approach that is people-centred to eliminate HIV, TB and STIs as public health threats by 2030,” Gungubele said.
The drafting of the NSP was coordinated by the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), which brings together government, civil society, and other social partners to build consensus and drive a well –coordinated, unified response to the three epidemics over a five-year period.
“The process to develop this fifth iteration of our national plan was extensively consulted across society to secure the widest range of views and ideas, and building on the lessons learnt from our previous plans. The NSP emphasises the need to break down barriers and maximise equitable and equal access to services through resilient and integrated health systems.”