Cabinet has approved the release of the 25 Year Review Report which assesses government’s progress in delivering on its commitment of a better life for all South Africans.
“It acknowledges the strides we have made in the country but at the same time acknowledges that we have serious structural challenges that have affected the growth of our economy and as a consequence many of our young people are unemployed,” said the Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu.
The Minister was speaking at a post Cabinet media briefing held on Thursday afternoon.
The assessment was led by the Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Department.
It entails consultations to obtain perspectives and insights from various stakeholders. These included business, labour, academics, non-governmental organizations and various government departments.
The report highlights areas of progress such as universal access to basic education; expansion to higher education, access to free health services in the public sector and the implementation of the social wage.
It also highlights several challenges, which impede the country’s adequate response to unemployment poverty alleviation and inequality.
Key to those challenges is the country’s inability to address the structural dimensions of the country’s economy.
Following Cabinet’s approval, national departments and provinces will publish their respective detailed report on the 25-year review as well.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa will officially launch the SA 25 Year Review 1994-2019 in due course,” said Mthembu.
2019 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Country Report
Cabinet also approved the South African 2019 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Country Report to the United Nations (UN).
The report will be delivered at the SDG Summit during the 74th United Nations (UN) General Assembly session in September 2019.
The report is set to provide South Africa’s progress in implementing the SDG goals which are aligned to the country’s National Development Plan.
The report, once published, will be accessible to the public through the United Nations website.
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
Cabinet also approved South Africa’s Fourth National report on the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
The protocol governs the movement of living modified organisms, also known as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), within the country to other countries.
The report will be submitted to the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity by 1 October 2019. - SAnews.gov.za
