ENERGY

• In his speech at this year’s ‘Investing in Mining in Africa’ indaba, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe announced that the deadline for comment on the draft Integrated Resource Plan has been extended to 23 March 2024. At the time of writing, no media statement had been issued to confirm this.

 

POULTRY MARKET INQUIRY

• The Competition Commission gazetted a notice calling for public comments on the draft terms of reference for an inquiry into the entire poultry market value chain. This is noting that, according to the document:
  • ‘most of South Africa’s broiler chicken and egg products are produced by large commercial firms that are generally vertically integrated from the genetics and day-old chicks through to animal feed and … slaughter, processing, and distribution’, and that
  • the 2019 Poultry Sector Master Plan – ‘as a negotiated agreement between the public sector and the industry’ – ‘cannot and does not seek to address the structure, outcomes and conduct … likely to be adversely affecting competition’.

 

IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS

• The Department of Home Affairs called for public comments on draft amendments to regulations under the Immigration Act, 2002. In place since 2014, these regulations were first amended four years later (when their title was incorrectly worded).
• The changes now envisaged have implications for:
  • corporate, work, visitors’ and temporary ‘sojourn’ visa applications
  • permanent residence applications, and
  • applications to reside in South Africa ‘on other grounds’.

 

SOUTH AFRICAN POST OFFICE

• The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies gazetted a notice calling for public comments on proposals for a review of the period during which only the South African Post Office may provide services reserved in terms of Schedule 1 of the Postal Services Act, 1998.
• According to the notice, services reserved for the South African Post Office are:
  • the delivery of all postal articles under 1kg in weight
  • issuing postage stamps
  • providing roadside collection and address boxes, and
  • providing retail outlets at which these services may be accessed.

 

CAPTIVE LION INDUSTRY

• The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment gazetted a notice granting another three months to the task team established in December 2022 to ‘identify and recommend voluntary exit options and pathways for the captive lion industry’.
• This is noting that, in September 2023, input was sought on draft regulations proposing a ban on establishing and registering new facilities involving the capture and containment of live African lions in various forms of controlled environment.

 

FIVE-YEAR REVIEW

• The Presidency issued a media statement on the publication of a five-year review of progress made by the current administration in:
  • addressing South Africa’s ‘immediate challenges’, and
  • laying the foundations for ‘sustainable, inclusive growth and job creation’.

 

LEGAL PRACTICE COUNCIL

• Amendments to the rules on practical vocational training gazetted in December 2023 were replaced.

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT

• The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment gazetted a notice calling for public comments on proposals for de-listing mining-related residue stockpiles and deposits as environmentally detrimental activities.

 

CONSTRUCTION AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• The South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions gazetted notices calling for public comments on:
  • a draft policy on the code of conduct for registered persons (Government Gazette notice), and
  • a draft policy on appeals and tribunals (Government Gazette notice).

 

Prepared by Pam Saxby