Outcomes of Western Cape Government Cabinet meeting held on 28 May 2025

Premier Alan Winde chaired a regular meeting of the Western Cape Government Cabinet on Wednesday, 28 May 2025.

Western Cape Government’s opposition to National Health Insurance Act draft regulations

Cabinet agreed to oppose the draft regulations of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act providing for governance arrangements of the Fund. The Western Cape Government has drafted comments to oppose these regulations in their entirety and restate the provincial government's longstanding position that the act poses a risk to the proper functioning of the Western Cape health system. Additionally, the government is of the view that these regulations have been introduced prematurely and are invalid. 

“We fully support the principle of universal healthcare. However, we believe that the provisions of the act, in its current form, undermine this aim, particularly in the Western Cape,” Premier Winde said. 

Cabinet noted that the implementation of the legislation, together with the regulations, will have a significant and detrimental impact on all provinces and service delivery. The draft regulations published by the national Department of Health confirm many of the concerns that the provincial government raised in respect of the bill during the parliamentary public participation process, and which have not been adequately considered.

Expansion of SWIMS across provincial government

Cabinet approved the proposal to expand the Social Work Integrated Management System (SWIMS) application across the provincial government.

First launched in April 2024, this innovative application is already being utilised by over 1,000 social services practitioners across the province.

The SWIMS app has revolutionised the way social workers do their work. The application allows for the secure digitisation of files. Although it is still in its early stages of rollout, it is projected that approximately two weeks’ worth of hours are saved per social worker per year, which can now be invested in casework instead of paperwork.

Its benefits include:

• The ability to track all social work interventions rendered by social workers in the province.
• Providing an overview of problems per area addressed by social workers.
• Providing data to be used for provincial priorities. 
• Strengthening collaboration between all spheres of government.
• Improving record-keeping.

“Across our departments, we must explore ways to improve services. Our embrace of innovation, technology, and reliance on data and evidence strengthens our ability to boost service delivery, in the case of expanding SWIMS, to the most vulnerable in our province,” said the Premier.

Western Cape Minister for Social Services, Jaco Londt said, "We have seen the positive impact of the SWIMS App in helping our social workers save time in the tracking and monitoring of cases. They've also been able to log cases from anywhere, even deep rural areas. If SWIMS is utilised by other social service professionals in government and the NGO space, not only will staff benefit, but it will strengthen our case monitoring systems. This is important for the residents we serve. Social workers can stay up to date with what interventions have been done and what is still required, as there will be more effective referral pathways between departments and outside bodies. We want to mitigate the risk of cases slipping through the cracks, whether in government or the NGO sector, and provide our residents with the best possible services."

Implementation of new Provincial Roads Delivery Model

Cabinet noted the decision by the provincial Department of Infrastructure to implement the new Provincial Roads Delivery Model at the district municipal sphere. This was informed by a comprehensive assessment of value for money for residents and performance over the past five years. The new model aims to modernise and accelerate infrastructure development in the Western Cape.

Growth for Jobs 2025-2030 Implementation plan 

Cabinet approved the Growth for Jobs 2025-2030 Implementation Plan. 

The first iteration of the Growth for Jobs (G4J) strategy was approved by Cabinet in April 2023 and reaffirmed in August 2024.

The Implementation Plan is strategically aligned with both national and provincial priorities, as well as the Western Cape Government’s Provincial Strategic Plan 2025 – 2030, and sets out a clear pathway for the Western Cape to achieve significant economic growth with an average GDP growth rate of between 2.5% and 3% by 2030, and by between 4% and 6% by 2035

Premier Winde, noted, “The G4J strategy is constantly evolving requiring us to regularly revisit its key priority areas. Given the volatility of global trade, we must accept that we will need to adjust the targets detailed in the strategy. While I remain hopeful that the Western Cape will be able to weather global economic challenges, we must be realistic and consider these kinds of challenges.”

2025 Premier’s Cycle Tour

Premier Winde thanked his Cabinet, the Western Cape Government team and partners for helping to make the 2025 Premier’s Cycle Tour a huge success. From 12 May to 16 May, the Premier and members of the provincial executive, along with officials and key partners, travelled by bicycle to parts of the Southern Cape and Klein Karoo to hand over bicycles. “The tour is so much more than just about donating bicycles to rural schools and neighbourhood watch (NHW) organisations; it is a tangible demonstration of the 'power of the pedals' and the importance of partnerships, how bicycles can connect communities and residents to economic opportunities, how they educate road users about road safety and instill responsibility in our youth.”

Over 300 bicycles were handed over to various schools and NHW groups. The Premier also thanked all partner organisations for their help in making the tour the success that it was.

Nominations are open for the Service Excellence Awards

Premier reminded Cabinet, Western Cape Government staff and residents that nominations are open for the Service Excellence Awards (SEA) 2025, which recognises the excellent performance of Western Cape Government staff.

“Our staff are at the heart of our government’s commitment to work as hard as we can every day for the residents of this province. Many of them make a huge impact every day in their work, and it is important that we celebrate them. If you know of someone who is doing great work, please nominate them. The ceremony will be held in September 2025 and entries close on 30 June 2025,” concluded Premier Winde. 

Information about the award categories can be found on the Western Cape Government Website.