22 MARCH 2007

SUBJECT : EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING

The Executive Council met at Nelspruit for its fortnightly meeting on Tuesday 20 March 2007. The Executive Council approved the attendance by MEC's for Finance and Agriculture and Land Administration, namely Mathulare Coleman and Dinah Pule respectively of the 4 th World Congress of Rural Women to be held in Durban, 23-26 April 2007. The Congress aims to discuss universal and wide-ranging issues confronting rural women.

The Cabinet discussed and noted the report back on the 11 th International Craft Selling Exhibition in Milan , Italy , which took place on 2-10 December 2006. Limpopo and Kwazulu-Natal provinces also participated at the Trade Fair. The participants gained a better insight into the manner of participating in international trade fairs. Products, which sold successfully, were; wooden birds, telephone wire bowls and handcrafted handbags and necklaces made of Kiaat seeds and beads. Another important observation is that products from recyclable material were very popular.

The MEC for Roads and Transport presented a report from the Transport MINMEC held on March 8 2007. According to the report, 1826 applications for the scrapping of taxies have been received nationally of which 178 have been approved in Mpumalanga . Out of the 178 applications approved in the province 148 operators were paid the R50 000 scrapping allowance and 96 old taxi vehicle were physically scrapped.

The Cabinet approved the participation of ten gymnasts, seven marimba players and thee departmental officials from the Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation at the 2007 World Gymnaestrada to be held in Dornbirn , Austria from 5-16 July.

Similarly, Cabinet approved the attendance of five officials from the province in the 2007 Afura Games and International conference in Darwin , Australia from 10-20 May. This is in preparation for the games to be held in 2009.

The Executive Council agreed to leave Bushbuckridge as the fourth region for three years within the Department of Education. The new municipal boundary demarcation process has resulted in Bushbuckridge municipality being part of the Ehlanzeni District Municipality . However, the total number of schools in this region will make Ehlanzeni un-manageable if Bushbuckridge is incorporated without rationalization. It has to be treated as a separate education region to do justice to the education system and effective delivery.

A presentation was made to the Executive Council on the feasibility study of the Moloto Development Corridor, which is one of the five flagships projects that have been identified as the economic drivers of the province. The detailed final report will be presented to Executive Council in April 2007.

Other presentations on the flagship programmes were made to the Executive Council these included the Maputo Development Corridor. It has identified several economic projects that can have positive effects of creating jobs and business opportunities along the corridor.

The last presentation of flagships was Water for All, which is addressing the serious backlog of the supply of clean drinking water in the province.

The Executive Council approved the appointment of Mr. Nivard Bruno Lubisi as Senior Manager (director): Consumer Protection Services in the Department of Economic Development and Planning. He is currently Manager: Consumer Protection Services in the same department.

Issued by the Communication Chief Directorate Office of the Premier

NELSPRUIT

Contact Lebona Mosia at 0825616465/ +27 13 766 2244 lmosia@nel.mpu.gov.za