Pretoria - Cabinet has urged road users to adopt a more responsible attitude that takes into account that fatal crashes destroy lives.
During a Post-Cabinet briefing on Thursday, Public Service and Administration Minister and Acting Minister for Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation, Lindiwe Sisulu highlighted the strict enforcement of traffic offences, which are part of the Festive Season Campaign (Arrive Alive).
The campaign was launched on Sunday by Deputy Minister of Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga, under the theme ‘Together We Can Save Millions of Lives”.
Fight against drug, gang violence
Sisulu said Cabinet also commended the progress made through the multi-agency approach, which was adopted in response to the Presidential intervention early this year at Eldorado Park, to tackle drug and gang violence and related socio-economic challenges.
The Minister said this has since seen the arrest of 1 431 people, of which 1 098 are awaiting trialists, while a further 1 095 received bail, three are still in custody, while the number of those who have been convicted is 289.
Earlier this year, mothers of Eldorado Park, south of Johannesburg pleaded with the President to come to their assistance to tackle the escalating drug problem in the area.
Phase 3 of EPWP approved
In other Cabinet news, Cabinet has approved the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) high level proposal for phase 3 (2014-2019) for implementation.
Sisulu said the overall target of 7.5 million work opportunities over the given period (2014/2015-2018/2019) is based on the public employment programmes target articulated in the National Development Plan (NDP).
She also announced that Cabinet approved the establishment of the Presidential Public Employment Coordinating Commission to coordinate and report on public employment programmes.
Minister Sisulu said this will be aligned to the work of the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC).
The EPWP aims to increase its contribution to address the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality.
The current economic down-turn has negatively impacted on employment in the country and has increased the importance of the EPWP as a major government initiative for contributing to development and reducing unemployment. – SAnews.gov.za
