GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL UNITY

• A statement of intent signed by the ANC and DA was published on 14 June 2024 (Polity), shortly before former Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza was elected as Speaker of the National Assembly. In terms of the agreement, the DA’s Annelie Lotriet was elected Deputy Speaker.
• Later that day, Parliament issued a media statement confirming ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa’s re-election for a second term as President.
• On 15 June 2024, Parliament issued a media statement announcing former Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane’s election as NCOP Chair.

 

ACTS ADDED TO THE STATUTE BOOKS

• The Presidency issued a media statement on three new laws:
  • the Municipal Fiscal Powers and Functions Amendment Act, which (once in force) will enable local authorities to factor the ‘user pays’ principle into the process of calculating land development levies – thus potentially covering a significant portion of associated bulk infrastructure costs
  • the National Land Transport Amendment Act, which (once in force) is expected to address challenges experienced in implementing the principal statute (intended to give practical effect to the 2007 Public Transport Strategy and Action Plan, among other things introducing bus rapid transit in most metros), and
  • the Economic Regulation of Transport Act, which (once in force) will establish two parallel independent but integrated agencies to regulate rail, aviation, maritime and road transport (one will focus on technical, administrative and enforcement matters, while the other will serve as an adjudicative entity).
• The Gold and Foreign Exchange Contingency Reserve Account Defrayal Amendment Act is now in force, giving practical effect to an agreement between National Treasury and the South African Reserve Bank. According to an explanatory document released by National Treasury, this is expected to:
  • facilitate the account’s ‘orderly long-term management’
  • maintain ‘adequate but not excessive buffers’, and
  • reduce the ‘scope for uncertainty and contention’.

 

MEASURES TO CURB MONEY LAUNDERING AND TERRORISM FINANCING

• The Financial Intelligence Centre issued a notice calling for public comments on a revised draft compliance communication focusing on beneficial ownership. It reflects input received on a first draft released in December 2023.

 

HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS AND PESTICIDES

• The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment gazetted a notice postponing by another 660 days the implementation of regulations intended to domesticate the Rotterdam Convention on international trade in hazardous chemicals and pesticides.

 

Prepared by Pam Saxby