South Africa

Cabinet has approved the Norms and Standards for the safe operations of the tourism sector in the context of COVID-19 and other related pandemics.

Cabinet has described as unjust and unilateral the decision the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) to grant Israel observer status in the African Union (AU).

“The AU is the legitimate representative of all African member States that should be consulted on such decisions,” said Acting Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, on Thursday.

The Minister was updating the nation on decisions of the Cabinet meeting held yesterday.

Cabinet has approved the release of the report of the Inter-Ministerial Committee into the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

Acting Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, says Cabinet is pleased with the country’s vaccination rollout programme, which is seeing one million people inoculated every three days in both the public and private health sectors.

Cabinet on Thursday welcomed to the completion of Eskom’s Medupi power station.

Cabinet has welcomed government’s R36 billion economic relief support to sectors reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and the recent public violence, where businesses were looted and damaged.

Cabinet has commended law enforcement agencies for restoring calm to KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng following incidents of civil unrest last month.

As government continues to rollout the COVID-19 vaccination programme, the Coega Development Corporation (CDC) Wellness Centre in Gqeberha is now a COVID-19 public vaccination site.

Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has welcomed the announcement by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) that it is now ready to investigate alleged tender irregularities at the department dating back to 2012.

KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has commended the department for receiving its 12th consecutive clean audit.