Bela Bill snub: Minister sets record straight

MINISTER in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says there are no DA ministers but ministers of the state.

Ntshavheni said this when she was giving clarity on the issue relating to Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, who didn't attend the signing ceremony of the Bela Bill.

The minister was briefing the media on the outcome of the cabinet meeting in Tshwane at Tshedimosetso House on Friday, 20 September.

She said to ensure that in future there are no issues of ministers not attending the signing ceremony, it was clarified in the cabinet that there are no DA ministers but ministers of the state, all appointed by the President of the Republic.

"There are no differences. We sit in cabinet, and we agree on a whole lot of things. There are reservations that are explained, but there are things that we agree on and move forward."

Ntshavheni said since the Government of Unity (GNU) came into effect, there haven't been any reservations on all decisions of cabinet; they have all agreed upon them.

"But to make sure on issues that have been deemed as issues of differences, there have been differences before the GNU. There are things that if we had worked on together during the sixth administration, both the governing party and the opposition, we could have cleared in terms of implementation mechanism," she said.

"We are not worried about the powers of the president; they cannot be watered down by any political arrangement because if this is the case, therefore the president could fail to execute his duties as mandated and required by the Constitution of the Republic," said Ntshavheni.

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In matters relating to the fight against crime and corruption, Ntshavheni said the cabinet welcomed progress being made in the fight against crime through Operation Shanela.

She said since its launch in May 2023, Operation Shanela has resulted in the arrest of 850 375 suspects, and the seizure of 824 illegal firearms and over 17 282 rounds of ammunition.

In addition, drugs worth more than R13 million were seized at the OR Tambo International Airport over the past two months, and copper worth over R20 million was recovered from a scrapyard near Durban with a suspect arrested, according to Ntshavheni.

"Through coordinated multidisciplinary and intelligence-led operations, law enforcement agencies are focused on dismantling extortion syndicates across the country. In the past two weeks, 14 extortionists were arrested in various provinces.

"To mitigate the spread of Mpox disease, all people are encouraged to practise non-pharmaceutical measures, including regular washing of hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser," the minister said.

There's an indication that water demand in Gauteng continues to grow because of population growth, an increase in non-revenue water in municipal systems, including illegal and unbilled connections, and lack of maintenance resulting in huge water leaks, which are at 33% average across Gauteng municipalities.

"Currently, the peak demand for water from Rand Water's municipal customers is close to and occasionally exceeds the supply available from its treatment plants and storage reservoirs. To avert greater restrictions, Gauteng municipalities must prioritise reducing water leaks in their water distribution systems and enforce water-use restrictions," said Ntshavheni.

In marking Heritage Day, the minister said a tribute will be paid to heroes and heroines who gave up their lives fighting for liberation, particularly those freedom fighters who were forced into exile by the apartheid state and died in foreign lands.