Legislative
Legislative Developments
The public is invited to submit written comments on the following at https://pmg.org.za/calls-for-comments
- On the draft Deeds Registries Amendment Bill by 9 April 2016.
- On the draft Marine Spatial Planning Bill by 24 May 2016.
In line with the Intelligence Services Oversight Act, the public is invited to nominate a suitable person as Inspector General of Intelligence to monitor and oversee intelligence and counter-intelligence activities. Nominations can be emailed to [email protected] by 13 April 2016.
A bill to protect animals was passed in the National Assembly. The bill makes provision for people to apply for a licence to exhibit, train or use an animal. The Performing Animals Protection Amendment Bill is now in the NCOP.
Public hearings on Extension of Security of Tenure Amendment Bill got underway in the Western Cape. The Bill seeks to address weaknesses and limitations in the existing legislation by expanding the rights of occupiers and regulating evictions. In an effort to strengthen the Bill, Parliament has decided to facilitate extensive public hearing consultations targeting farming communities as well as hotspots for evictions.
Public hearings on the Eastern Cape Customary Male Initiation Practice Bill took place recently. The Bill regulates the practice of customary male initiation in the Province, provides for the coordinating structures of male initiation monitoring programmes, provides for key role players in male initiation monitoring programmes, and provides for the issuing of permission to perform circumcision. It also imposes penalties for contravention of certain provisions.
The Immigration Amendment Bill was initiated and drafted by the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs. Once enacted, it will prevent foreigners illegally in the country by virtue of having overstayed the period stipulated in their visas, from being granted permanent residence or any other entry visa for as long as deemed appropriate.
The Local Government: Municipal Electoral Amendment Bill was assented to and signed by the President.
Cabinet approved the submission of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Bill to Parliament. The amendments will improve the administration of local government elections and among other changes, seek to clarify the date of assumption of office by a councillor; allow the President to set and call the date for the municipal elections; allow for extension in the declaration of results of an election and increase variance of the number of voters in each ward during a demarcation to clarify the allocation of excessive seats in local municipalities.
The Social Development Portfolio Committee postponed adoption of the Children's Amendment Bill and Children's Second Amendment Bill to give the the Department and other parties a chance to formulate final responses.
The Portfolio Committee on Labour unanimously adopted the Unemployment Insurance Amendment Bill. The law extends the period during which unemployment insurance is paid out to workers who have lost their jobs from eight to 12 months. In addition, unemployment insurance benefits will apply to learners and civil servants who are undergoing learnership training.
The National Assembly approved the Revenue Laws Amendment Bill. The Bill postpones the implementation of the compulsory annuitisation of two thirds of provident fund savings until March 2018 to allow government to consult with labour over the design of a system of pension preservation. COSATU welcomed the postponement as a victory for workers. The Division of Revue Bill was also adopted.
In a preliminary briefing, the Department of Justice and Correctional Services informed Parliament that the Protected Disclosures Amendment Bill seeks to extend the application of the Act to any person who works or worked for the State or another person, assists or assisted in the business of an employer or client as an independent contractor, consultant, agent or temporary employee; to regulate joint liability of employers and their clients; to introduce a duty to inform employees or workers who have disclosed information regarding unlawful or irregular conduct; to provide for immunity against civil and criminal liability flowing from a disclosure of information on a criminal offence; to create an offence for the disclosure of false information.
President Zuma confirmed that hate speech will become a statutory offence once a Prevention and Combatting of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill, to be introduced in Parliament 'by September’, is in force.
The Minister of Transport intends to introduce the National Land Transport Amendment Bill in Parliament.