GOVERNMENT PRESS STATEMENT

 

NO 13: 2012

 

PRIME MINISTER INVOLVEMENT IN SPTC/MTN ISSUES

 

Cabinet carries a collective responsibility for all matters within the Administrative arm of Government. When the Prime Minister assists in, or comments on, issues affecting His Majesty’s Government, he does so on behalf of Cabinet.Decisions which have been communicated by the Prime Minister or any Cabinet Minister, unless otherwise stated, should always be considered to be decisions made with the approval of Cabinet.

 

Furthermore, as Head of the Administration, and Cabinet itself, the Prime Minister has a responsibility to intervene, where considered necessary, on issues that affect Government. This applies whether or not such issues are currently being dealt with by another member of Cabinet. And when the Prime Minister speaks, it is on behalf of Cabinet. Equally – and this should be understood particularly in the context of the ongoing SPTC/MTN matter – the Minister is speaking on behalf of Cabinet and any decision made is one for which Cabinet takes collective responsibility.

 

Government has an executive responsibility to resolve the problems that have been faced by SPTC and MTN. The involvement by the Prime Minister in achieving a successful outcome should be viewed as a normal part of the Prime Minister’s executive function. That is intervention and not interference.

Dr. B. Sibusiso Dlamini

Prime Minister

10 April 2012