Cabinet approves moves to stagger local government polls

CAPE TOWN August 16 Sapa

Cabinet has approved amendments to the Constitution and local
government legislation to enforce its earlier decision that local
government elections be staggered.

However, Home Affairs Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi had asked
at Wednesday's weekly Cabinet meeting that the IFP's opposition to
the amendments be noted, Cabinet Secretary Jakes Gerwel said.

The IFP opposes any staggering of the November local government
elections.

The amendments to the Constitution and the Local Government
Transition Act were merely technical to enforce an earlier Cabinet
decision that the elections could be staggered in those areas which
would not be ready in time for the November 1 poll.

No concrete dates for the staggering had been decided upon,
although the polls would have to take place before the cut-off date
of March next year.

Cabinet had not considered a plan agreed to on Tuesday by
Provincial Affairs Minister Roelf Meyer and the nine provincial
MECs to set up a supplementary voters roll for those who had failed
to register in time for the November elections, Gerwel said.

The Defence Amendment Bill, establishing civilian control of
the defence force through a defence secretariat, had been approved.

South Africa's accession to the World Heritage Convention and
the United Nations' International Fund for Agricultural Development
had also approved. Membership of the latter fund would cost about
US500000.

A number of new appointments to the Industrial Development
Corporation's board, the Financial Services Board and the Deciduous
Fruit Board had been approved in line with the GNU's transformation
policy.

It had appointed Health Minister Nkosazana Zuma as the leader
of the South African delegation to next month's United Nations
Women's Conference in Beijing and Deputy Welfare Minister Geraldine
Fraser-Moleketi as her deputy.

Cabinet had also approved that South Africa accede to the
United National Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women to be approved by Parliament ahead of the Beijing
conference.