Cabinet welcomes the drop in the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks and the improved recovery rate that has increased to 87 percent. The number of people requiring admission in our hospitals and the demand for COVID-19 tests have also dropped.

1. Statementon the virtual CabinetMeetingof9 September2020
10 September2020
A. Issuesinthe environment
1. Update on the CoronavirusDisease (COVID-19)
1.1. Cabinetwelcomesthe dropinthe numberof new confirmedCOVID-19casesoverthe past few
weeksandthe improvedrecoveryrate thathasincreasedto87 percent.The numberof people
requiringadmissioninourhospitalsandthe demandforCOVID-19testshave alsodropped.
1.2. Cabinetthanksall SouthAfricansforplayingtheirpartinadheringto restrictionstoflattenthe
curve.We commendthe dedicationandsacrifice of all healthprofessionalswhohave beenour
frontline defenceagainstthe virus.
1.3. Letus buildonthe momentumof thisencouragingnewsandcontinue toworktogetherto
consistentlydothe rightthings,suchaspractisingsocial distancing,wearingamaskwheninpublic,
and washinghandswithsoapandwater or usinganalcohol-basedhandsanitiser.
1.4. Cabinetencouragesall peopleinSouthAfricatodownloadthe free COVIDAlertSA Application
fromthe Apple AppStore orGoogle Play.The Departmentof Healthintroducedthe appasanother
tool to alertSouth Africansif theyhave beenexposedtosomeone withCOVID-19.The app
strengthensournation’sfightagainstthe spreadof the virus.
1.5. Cabinetalsoapprovedthe extensionof the national state of disasterto15 October2020 in
termsof Section27(5)(c) of the DisasterManagementAct,2002 (57 of 2002). This isto continue
givingeffecttothe regulationsthatremainrelevanttomanage the spreadof COVID-19infections.
2. Gender-basedviolence (GBV)
2.1. The scourge of GBV continuesto plague ournationwiththe senselessviolentassaultand
murderof women.The recentvictimsof thisheinouscrime include actressThandekaMdeliswa(34)
whowas shotat herfamilyhome inEvander,Mpumalangaandthe 28-year-oldwomanwhowas
killedbyherhusbandwhilereportingadomesticviolence atthe MadeiraPolice Stationinthe
EasternCape.Cabinetcallsforjustice tobe servedonthese crimesandothersthat are reported.

2. 2.2. Cabinetrecentlyapprovedthree lawstointensifythe fightagainstGBV.Theyare the Domestic
Violence AmendmentBill;Criminal andRelatedMattersAmendmentBill of 2020; and the Criminal
Law (Sexual OffencesandRelatedMatters) AmendmentBill of 2020. These lawscontribute towards
ensuringeffectiveandefficientprotectionforvictimsof domesticviolence andGBV.
3. Clicksadvertisement
3.1. Cabinethasnotedwithgreatconcernan extremelydisturbingadvertisementpublishedonthe
Clickswebsite,whichjustifiablytriggeredwidespreadpublicoutrage.Cabinetconsidersthe
advertisementprofoundlyoffensiveandracist.
3.2. Blackhair hasbeenthe subjectof intense politicisationandasource of unjustdiscriminationin
our recenthistory.Ournation’shistoryislitteredwithlawsandsocietal normsthatequated
‘blackness’andthe associatedphysical traits –for example,darkskin,kinkyandcurlyhair – to a
badge of inferiority.
3.3. We therefore welcome the immediate correctiveactionstakenbyClicks. These include their
commitmenttoworkwithgovernmenttopromote local productsinall theirstoresandto
collaborate withall theirsupplierstopromote the constitutional valuesasenshrinedinthe
Constitutionof the Republicof SouthAfricaof 1996. Theywill alsoputin place a diversityand
inclusiontrainingprogramme forall theirmanagersandstaff.
3.4. Cabinetcallsonthe advertisingagenciesof Clicksandotherstorestoalsoadopttangible
programmeswhichpromote andprotecthumanrights,andraise awarenessaboutdespicableissues
of racism,inequalityanddiscrimination.
3.5. All sectorsof our societymustendorse partnershipsbetweengovernmentdepartmentsand
ChapterNine institutionsinimplementinganti-racismandanti-discriminationeducational
campaigns.
3.6. Equally,governmentremindsall SouthAfricansthatthe rightto speakoutagainstany injustice
withoutfearof reprisal isenshrined inourConstitution.However,the righttoprotestcomeswith
the inherentresponsibilitytodosopeacefullyandwithoutinfringingonthe rightsof others.
Governmentcondemnsthe actsof vandalismatClicksstores.Suchunlawful actsundermine the
spiritof humanrightsthat has shapedthiscountrysince the dawnof democracy.
3.7. SouthAfricaisworkingtowardsgrowingthe economyandcannotaffordto riskthe lossof jobs
due to businessclosures.Lawlessnessandvandalismof private andpublic propertyshouldnotbe
condonedastheyare not a responsible andprogressive optiontoresolve aconflict.

3. 4. Economy
4.1. The steepcontractionof our Quarter2 Gross DomesticProducttorecord levelsof 16,4%
annualizedto51,2% as a result of COVID-19,raisesthe riskof reachingthe SupplementaryBudget
forecastof -7.2% growthin 2020.
4.2. Thisaffirmsthe correctnessof government’sdecisiontourgentlyembarkonaneconomic
recoveryplan,workingtogetherwithall oursocial partnerstoget the economyona bettergrowth
trajectory.
4.3. The plan,whichwill be infrastructure led,will alsoinclude implementationof much-needed
structural reforms.
5. Death of Nathaniel Julius
5.1. Cabinetexpresseditscondolencestothe familyof Nathaniel Julius,a16-year-oldboywhowas
allegedlyshotandkilledbypolice officersinEldoradoPark.
5.2. The arrest of the three police officersbythe IndependentPolice InvestigativeDirectorate
(IPID) onchargesof murderand defeatingthe endsof justice affirmsthe fundamental principle that
no personisabove the law.
5.3. Cabinetcallsonthe communityof EldoradoParkto assistthe IPIDand continue toworkwithin
the criminal justice systemtoensure thatjustice prevails.
6. Auditor-General Report(AG) onCOVID-19procurements
6.1. The recentAG Reportalsohighlightedsome irregularitiesandillegal transactionsonthe
COVID-19relief package introducedbygovernmenttoease economicdistressandpreventthe
spreadof the virus.
6.2. The findingswillbe handedovertothe multi-agencyFusionCentre thatistaskedwith
investigatingCOVID-19-relatedfraudandcorruption.Findingsincludeoverpricing,government
employeesapplyingforrelief theywere not entitledto,potential fraudandthe sidesteppingof
supplychainmanagementrulesandregulations.

4. 6.3. Cabinetreiteratesitsresolve tocontinue todecisivelypursueall those foundtohave abused
these fundsirrespectiveof whotheyare.The discrepanciesthatare exposedbythe publicthrough
the informationpublishedonthe National Treasurywebsite(www.treasury.gov.za) will be followed
up withthe relevantdepartments.
B. Cabinetdecisions
1. National Climate Change interventions
1.1. Cabinetapprovedthe establishmentof the Presidential Climate ChangeCoordinating
Commission.Thisisinline withthe Presidential JobSummitFrameworkAgreementsignedduring
the Presidential JobSummitin2018. The commissionwill coordinate the just transitionof our
countryto a lowcarbonclimate andresilienteconomyandsocietyby2050.
1.2. The structure will be representedbygovernment,socialpartners,civil societyaswell as
expertsfromacademiaandresearchinstitutions. SouthAfrica isthe signatorytothe UnitedNations
FrameworkConventiononClimate Change (UNFCCC).
1.3. Cabinetalsoapprovedthe submissionof the country’sLow EmissionDevelopment(LED)
Strategyto the UNFCCC Secretariat.ThisLED Strategywill advance the national climate change and
developmentpolicyinamore coordinated,coherentandstrategicmanner.Itprovidesmitigation
measuresfocusingonfourkeysectorsof the economy,namelyEnergy;Industry;Agriculture,
ForestryandLand Use; and Waste.
2. National Waste ManagementStrategy(NWMS) 2020
2.1. Cabinetapprovedthe 2020 NWMS to replace the 2011 NWMS. The waste management
strategygivesintoeffectthe termsof the National Environmental Management:Waste Act,2008
(Act59 of 2008). It directsthe environmental protectionprogrammes.Itdrivesasustainable andan
environmentallyfriendly,inclusiveeconomicgrowth,withthree focuspillars –waste minimisation,
effectiveandsustainable services,andwaste awarenessandcompliance.
3. Agricultural colleges
3.1. Cabinetapprovedthe establishmentof agricultural collegesasthe competencyof Higher
EducationCollegesintermsof the HigherEducationAct,1997 (101 of 1997), as amended.

5. 3.2. The agricultural colleges –whichare currentlyunderthe Departmentof Agriculture,Land
ReformandRural Development –provide programmesthatare alignedtohighereducation
qualificationswhichinclude skillstrainingandvocational programmes.The relocationof these
collegestothe Departmentof HigherEducationandTrainingwill alignthemtothe prescribedHigher
EducationAct of 1997 and will improve theirgovernance andmanagement.
4. 2017/18 Reporton ResearchandDevelopment(R&D) Tax Incentive Programme
4.1. Cabinetapprovedthe submissionof the 2017/18 Report to ParliamentonR&DTax Incentive
Programme.The researchtracks usage of the incentive bycompaniestopromote researchand
developmentwithintheirrespectivesectors.Thistax incentive programmewasfirstintroducedin
November2006. Accordingto the report,fromNovember2006 to February2018, out of 1 091
companieswhichappliedforsupport,902 were grantedthistax incentive.The fullreportwill be
accessible once presentedinParliament.
5. Draft White Paperon AudioandVisual ContentServicesPolicyFramework
5.1. Cabinetapprovedpublicationof the DraftWhite PaperonAudioandAudioVisual Content
ServicesPolicyFramework:A NewVisionforSouthAfrica2020, forpublicconsultationand
comment.
5.2. The White Paper,amongstothers,proposesnew policyandregulatorychangesand
recommendationsintendedtorepositionthe audio-visual mediasectorsforfuture growthand
promote investments.
6. Transformationof the Heritage Landscape
6.1. Cabinetwasbriefedonthe progressmade bythe consultativetaskteamledbythe
Departmentof Sport,Artsand Culture onthe transformationof the heritage landscape.The team
was to reflectonthe currentheritage landscape,andhow Cabinetrespondstothe historical and
critical valuesof ourConstitution.
6.2. The teammakesrecommendationsof the statues/monumentsthatshouldespouse the
foundingvaluesof the newdemocraticSouthAfrica.Itproposesthe relocationof some of the
historical statuestothe theme parksthatwill be locatedacrossthe country.A full auditof all the
statues,symbolsandmonumentswill be done andthe outcome thereof will guidethe identification
of the proposedcultural nation-buildingparks.

6. 6.3 Cabinetendorsesthisprocess,whichwillcontributetowardsnation-buildingandensure public
spacesreflectthe constitutional valuesof apost-colonialandpost-apartheiddemocraticorder.The
cultural nationbuildingparkswill relocateall the historical detailsthatdepictcolonialismand
apartheidartefactsforfuture generations.
C. Messages
1. Congratulations
Cabinetextendsitscongratulationsandwell wishestothe:
1.1. formerDirector-General (DG) inThe PresidencyandCabinetSecretary,DrCassiusLubisi,ashe
exitsthe PublicServicetogoon retirementafterhavingservedasanexemplarypublicservantinThe
PresidencyandinKwaZulu-Natal.DrLubisi leavesbehindalegacyof ethical,professionaland
courageousservice tothe people of SouthAfrica.
1.2. formerDepartmentof HealthDG,Dr PreciousMatsoso,on herappointmentasa panellistin
the World HealthOrganisationIndependentPanelforPandemicPreparednessandResponse.
2. Condolences
Cabinetsentcondolences tothe:
2.1. familyandfriendsof acclaimedpoetandpolitical activistMrAchmat Dangor whousedhis
writingskillstoexposethe injusticesof the apartheidgovernmentandgive avoice to the voiceless.
2.2. family,friendsandcolleaguesof MrsNyamekaGoniwe,Speakerof the InxubaYethemba
Municipalityinthe EasternCape andwidow of Struggle activist,TataMatthew Goniwe.
2.3. familyandfriendsof retiredSouthAfricanNationalDefence Force Surgeon-General,
Lieutenant-General VejayRamlakan,whoalsocontributedtothe liberationof all SouthAfricans.
2.4. familyandfriendsof MrPetrusMeyer,fondlyknownasOomPiet,of the WesternCape,and
AmbassadorKgoṧi Mohlamme PietMathebe andMr DavidMbulaheni Maladaof Limpopo.These

7. distinguishedSouthAfricansdedicatedtheirlivestothe struggle forfreedomanddemocracyin
SouthAfrica.
2.5. familyandfriendsof renownedhumanrightsactivistAdvocate George Bizos,whopassedon
at the age of 92. He was an iconof the struggle againstapartheidinSouthAfrica.AdvBizosservedas
legal counsel toNelsonMandelaformanyyearsandwas amongthe panel of lawyerswho
representeddefendantsinthe RivoniaTrial.
He wasa celebratedhumanrightslawyerandwasalsoa foundingmemberof the Legal Resources
Centre,ahuman rightsorganisation.
D. Appointments
All appointmentsare subjecttothe verificationof qualificationsandthe relevantclearance.
1. LieutenantGeneral TebelloConstance Mosikiliasthe DeputyNational Headof the Directorate
for PriorityCrime Investigation.
2. Mr Trevor Rammitiwaasthe Chief ExecutiveOfficerof the National ElectronicMediaInstituteof
SouthAfrica.