BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW

 

• The Presidency issued media statements announcing that four new Acts have joined the statute books:
  • the Electoral Matters Amendment Act:
    • aligning various statutes with provisions in the Electoral Law Amendment Act, 2023, allowing independent candidates to stand for election to national Parliament and the provincial legislatures:
    • gazetted on 7 May 2024, when the statement was issued, and
    • commenced on 8 May 2024
  • the Second Adjustments Appropriation (2023/24 Financial Year) Act:
    • allocating additional funds to national government departments and their entities for the 2023/24 financial year
    • in that context, including in the Department of Home Affairs appropriation an allocation to the Independent Electoral Commission’s Represented Political Parties Fund
    • gazetted on 7 May 2024, when the statement was issued, and
    • immediately in force.
  • the Divorce Amendment Act (media statement):
    • aligning the principal statute with a June 2022 Constitutional Court ruling:
      • recognising Muslim marriages, and
      • protecting the interests of women and children in dissolved Muslim marriages, and
    • at the time of writing, not yet gazetted and with no commencement announced (Bill signed into law).
  • the Preventing and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act (media statement):
    • intended to ‘address (the) frequently occurring and sometimes violent conduct of persons who are motivated by clear and defined prejudices’
    • making offences of hate crimes and hate speech
    • providing for the implementation of measures to prevent and combat them, and
    • at the time of writing, not yet gazetted and with no commencement announced (Bill signed into law).

CARBON TAX

• National Treasury gazetted a notice announcing that:
  • 31 December 2025 is now the date by which an offset in respect of certain approved independent power producer programme projects should have been utilised to avoid being subject to tax under the Carbon Tax Act, 2019, and that
  • the new cut-off date also applies to renewable energy projects of a specific capacity.

 

LEGAL PRACTICE COUNCIL RULES

 

• The Legal Practice Council gazetted notices calling for public comments on proposed amendments to three rules:
  • legal practice in conveyancing, notary and patent work (draft amendment)
  • the code of conduct as it applies to legal practice in conveyancing, notary and patent work (draft amendment), and
  • pre-Fidelity Fund certificate issuance requirements (draft amendment).

 

PUBLICATIONS OF GENERAL INTEREST

 

• “Towards a 30-Year Review of South Africa’s Democracy” (Department of Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation):
  • executive summary
  • flipbook
• essential food price monitoring (Competition Commission):
  • report
  • media statement
• “Transforming Vision into Action: Charting South Africa’s Industrial Future” (Department of Trade, Industry and Competition):
  • industrial policy and strategy review

 

Prepared by Pam Saxby