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The Cabinet held its regular fortnightly meeting today in Tuynhuys, Cape Town. The meeting, chaired by the Acting President Thabo Mbeki, considered in the main reports from the various Cabinet Committees.

The Cabinet received a report on the regulatory dispensation governing the Liquid Fuel Industry and approved the establishment of an advisory working group comprised of the various stakeholders (e.g. Government Departments, the South African Petroleum Industry Association, Organised Labour, Organised Business, etc.) to advise the Government on the content and process of restructuring the regulatory dispensation for the liquid fuel industry and on the necessary interim measures which should be implemented to ensure the proper functioning of the current regulatory system.

The Cabinet received a report that the South African Reserve Bank has proposed a number of themes and designs for several numismatic coins to be issued next year and approved the designs and themes.

The Cabinet received a report on the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) which provides emergency assistance to migrants in conflict situations as well as a range of services relating to post-conflict rehabilitation and reconstruction, and approved that South Africa becomes a member of the International Organisation for Migration.

The Cabinet received a report that the Department of Public Works has prepared a Green Paper, Creating an Enabling Environment for the Reconstruction, Growth and Development in the Construction Industry, that deals with some of the key constraints operating in the construction sector and approved that it be published so as to elicit public comment.

The Cabinet was informed that the Department of Health has prepared a Report as required by South Africa's ratification of the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child and approved that the Report be submitted to the United Nations. The Report, inter alia, presents a broad overview of the measures taken by the Government to meet the requirements of the Convention; clarifies the general principles relating to the rights of the child and describes the various programmes aimed at improving the health and welfare of children.

The Cabinet approved the persons proposed by the Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology to serve on the Council of the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa.

The Cabinet approved that the Maintenance Bill, 1997 be submitted to Parliament for consideration.

More information on these matters is available from the appropriate Ministry and/or Department.

Secretary of the Cabinet, 22 October 1997

Issued by: Office of the President

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