SPECIAL INVESTIGATING UNIT REPORT ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC GOODS, WORKS AND SERVICES

• Released on 25 January, the report and annexure:
  • do not cover allegations received after the timeline set when the investigation began, and
  • will be followed in June by a supplementary report on the outcome of investigations into these allegations, which are ongoing according to a Presidency media statement.

 

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

• The Domestic Violence Amendment Act has been gazetted, although only one clause is now in force. It allows 12 months for:
  • the Director-General of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to submit to Parliament the directives with which clerks of the court will be expected to comply ‘in execution of their functions’ in terms of the Act, and
  • the Directors-General of the Departments of Health, Social Development, Basic Education, Higher Education and Training and Communications and Digital Technologies to submit to Parliament ‘directives regarding matters which are reasonably necessary or expedient to be provided for and which are to be followed by functionaries and other relevant persons when dealing with incidents of domestic violence’.

 

• Two other Acts expected to go some way towards curbing gender-based violence have also been gazetted but are yet to come into force:
  • the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act Amendment Act, and
• the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Act.

 

HOME AFFAIRS

• According to a media statement issued on 25 January by the Department of Employment and Labour, the Immigration Act, Citizenship Act and Refugees Act are being reviewed ‘to ensure more alignment’.
• A Department of Home Affairs statement issued on 26 January has confirmed this, noting the importance of:
  • ‘simplifying’ the existing legislation, and
  • modernising it to reflect ‘current circumstances’.

 

ENERGY

• On 27 January, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy called for public comment on a draft framework for the development, assessment and approval of domestic carbon offset standards.
• With the aim of assisting forest plantation sector companies with carbon sequestration accounting under the Carbon Tax Act, on 28 January the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment gazetted guidelines that also:
  • propose ‘a supporting set of rules and methods for measuring, reporting, and verifying … greenhouse gas emissions and removals’ for inclusion in the annual company tax accounting process.

 

EDUCATION

• A draft framework for accommodating students with disabilities in technical and vocational education and training colleges has been gazetted for public comment, with proposed norms, standards and guidelines.

 

Prepared by Pam Saxby