SA INSTITUTE OF DRUG-FREE SPORT ACT

• A media statement on the outcomes of a Cabinet meeting held on 18 October 2023 confirmed that ‘the processing of amendments to the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) Act, 2006’ was ‘considered and approved’ at a special meeting convened on 4 October 2023.
• The amendments are expected to ‘ensure alignment and compliance’ with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code.
• During a meeting of the National Assembly’s Sport, Arts and Culture Committee on 13 October 2023, SAIDS CEO Khalid Galant told members that the amendments focus on definitions apparently pre-dating the code and have no implications for ‘mandates and jurisdictions’.
• At the time of writing, the amendment Bill had yet to be tabled in Parliament.

 

MONEY LAUNDERING AND TERRORIST FINANCING

• The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) issued:
  • a communication providing guidance on ‘the practical interpretation and application of the definition of legal practitioner for purposes of the FIC Act’, 2001, noting that:
    • legal practitioners are included in the Act’s amended Schedule 1, which was gazetted in November 2022 and came into effect the following month, and that
    • Schedule 1 lists institutions and persons accountable to the FIC, required to register with the centre and to whom certain reporting obligations apply, and
  • a separate communication providing guidance on the registration process.

 

NATIONAL FORESTS ACT REGULATIONS

• The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment called for public comments on revised draft amendments to regulations under the National Forests Act, 1998, dealing with the processing of appeals and related timeframes. This is noting that:
  • the draft regulations were first released in March 2023 for public comment
  • they have been changed to reflect some of the input received, and that
  • the National Forests Amendment Act, 2022, provides for the right to appeal and related processes but has yet to come into effect.

 

MEDIA AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS MARKET INQUIRY

• The Competition Commission released a statement of issues to be explored during the inquiry, calling for public comments on the questions posed.
• According to an accompanying press release, the inquiry will ‘delve into various issues’ facing news media sustainability, including:
  • imbalances in the bargaining power of digital platforms and news media organisations, and
  • the interface between generative AI, digital advertising and online news media distribution.

 

THEATRE AND DANCE POLICY

• The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture published the national policy on theatre and dance, which was approved by Cabinet in August 2023.
• According to an accompanying media statement, the policy includes a ‘detailed implementation plan’ among other things:
  • alluding to regulatory interventions intended to address issues related to gender, ‘transparency’, ‘information dissemination’, and adherence to minimum standards, and
  • referring to the establishment of an ombud to deal with ‘contractual issues’ and ‘the rights of artists and practitioners’.

 

Prepared by Pam Saxby