This week’s Cabinet meeting took place exactly 29 years to the day after President Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first President of a democratic South Africa.

The meeting took place on Wednesday coinciding with the 10 May 1994 anniversary.

“After three and a half centuries of colonialism and separate development where one’s ability to have access to basic services were on the basis of one’s skin colour, a democratic South Africa set inclusive development goals to achieve a prosperous, non-racial, non-sexist and equal society.

“While many gains have been made since 1994, much more still needs to be done to realise the country’s development goals,” Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said on Thursday in Cape Town.

The South African Reserve Bank recently released an upgraded series of banknotes and coins, which celebrate South Africa’s constitutional democracy and pay tribute to Madiba.

“The banknotes continue to pay tribute to South Africa’s first democratically-elected President, Nelson Mandela, with his portrait retained on the front of the banknotes while the Big 5 animals are now illustrated as a family on the back.

“We also celebrate our constitutional democracy with the preamble to the South African Constitution printed in microtext around Madiba’s portrait and the country’s flag featured on the front and the back of the banknotes,” a statement by the South African Reserve Bank said.

The theme of the coin series is deep ecology, which acknowledges the interconnectedness of living organisms as an integral part of the environment. These themes are depicted by the fauna and flora on the coin.

Banknotes and coin are regularly upgraded in line with international best practice to combat counterfeiting and to stay abreast with technological advancements. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency