COVID-19

• The details underpinning President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 4 April announcement have since been gazetted in:
  • a notice terminating the State of Disaster
  • a separate notice revoking the classification of the Covid-19 pandemic as a national disaster
  • amended regulations on the transitional measures now in force, and
  • replacement vaccine injury no-fault compensation scheme regulations.

 

• Health Minister Joe Phaahla has issued a media statement confirming that, once finetuned and in force, draft regulations on the surveillance and control of notifiable medical conditions released on 15 March for public comment will be used to:
  • manage any resurgence of Covid-19, and
  • the outbreak of any future international pandemic, and that
  • they ‘will take effect immediately after the transitional measures have elapsed’.

 

• A ministerial directive has been gazetted prescribing measures to be taken in state-run schools during the post-Covid-19 State of Disaster transitional period.

 

• Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has confirmed that the temporary employer/employee relief scheme will be wound down once all valid remaining claims have been paid.

 

SOCIAL HOUSING

• The Department of Human Settlements has gazetted the details of adjustments made to income bands for the sub-primary, primary and secondary social housing markets.

 

SOCIAL GRANTS

• The Department of Social Development has gazetted increases announced in the 2022/2023 Budget and effective from 1 April.

 

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

• In anticipation of introducing ‘two years of compulsory early childhood development for all children, before they enter Grade 1’, the responsibility for early childhood development centres has officially ‘migrated’ to the Department of Basic Education, according to Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu.

 

WATER

• The first green drop report to have been published since 2014 is now available, following the reintroduction of a green drop certification programme introduced in 2009 with the intention of improving municipal wastewater management.

 

• The blue drop certification programme has also been reintroduced with the intention of improving drinking water quality. According to Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu, ‘the audit of drinking water quality will be prioritised to inform the (next) blue drop report, which is due in March 2023’.

 

 

REVISED PETROLEUM, LPG AND PARAFFIN PRICES

• It is not clear from the notice announcing these if they take account of measures announced last week by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe.

 

RULES BOARD FOR COURTS OF LAW

• The following have been released for public comment:
  • proposed amendments to Sub-rule 9 of Uniform Rule 36, which deals with opinions and reports from expert witnesses
  • proposed amendments to Magistrates Court Rules 18, 43A, 52A and 58, as well as related forms, with the aim of aligning them with recent amendments to Rules 5(3) and 13(3) in terms of which ‘the physical address chosen by litigating parties for service of documents should be situated in an area either within the court’s jurisdiction or within 25 kilometers of the courthouse’
  • proposed amendments to Magistrates’ Courts Rule 64, dealing with evidence and subpoenas, and
  • proposed amendments to various forms in the 1st and 2nd schedules to the Uniform Rules of Court.

 

INDEPENDENT COMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (ICASA)

• ICASA has called for public comment on draft replacement advertising, infomercial and programme sponsorship regulations that:
  • once in force, will be ‘binding on every broadcasting service licensee who provides a television broadcasting service and a sound broadcasting service’, and
  • were informed by the outcome of a review of the 1999 regulations, as amended.

 

• Regarding high-demand radio frequency spectrum, ICASA has issued a media statement confirming that an agreement with Telkom has been reached in terms of which:
  • by 30 June 2022, the authority will have issued an information memorandum on licensing:
    • the unsold spectrum auction sub-1 GHz lot, and
    • any other spectrum available for licensing other than that set aside for the wireless open access network, and that
  • by 31 March 2023 the authority will have concluded the associated ‘envisaged licensing process’, and also that
  • an inquiry will be conducted into ‘the existence of a secondary market for spectrum’.

 

POLITICAL PARTY FUNDING

• The Political Party Funding Act regulations have been gazetted and are now in force. Among other things, they cover:
  • the disclosure or non-disclosure of donations
  • proceeds from unlawful activity
  • determining the fee required to defray multi-party democracy fund administration costs, and
  • party-specific funding from national and provincial legislatures.

 

• The Independent Electoral Commission has:
  • determined the amount to be allocated to each represented party from the multi-party democracy fund, and
  • announced what is now available in the represented political party fund.

 

Prepared by Pam Saxby