CRITICAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• The Department of Home Affairs gazetted a revised list of skills and qualifications deemed critical in the context of work visa or permanent residence applications. It updates a list published in August 2022.

 

CYBERCRIMES

• The Department of Police gazetted a notice announcing the availability of a document prescribing standard operating procedures for:
  • conducting investigations and searches under the Cybercrimes Act, 2020, and
  • accessing and seizing articles.

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT

• The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment called for public comments on proposed amendments to the waste import and export control regulations. Once operationalised, the amendments will:
  • strengthen measures already in place for controlling hazardous and non-hazardous waste, and
  • have implications not only for waste import and export but also for:
    • its transit through South Africa
    • its reimportation, and
    • record-keeping.

 

POLITICAL PARTY BROADCASTS AND ADVERTISEMENTS

• The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa called for public comments on draft amendments to the political party broadcast and advertisement regulations. Among other things, the changes envisaged have implications for:
  • independent candidates
  • procedures to be followed when submitting and broadcasting political advertisements
  • related timeframes, and
  • the principles underpinning airtime allocation.

 

TOURISM EQUITY FUND

• The Department of Tourism issued a media statement clarifying the status of a Tourism Equity Fund launched in 2021 but never fully operationalised because of a ‘protracted court case’ only recently settled out-of-court. According to the statement:
  • the ‘amended’ fund will soon be ready for applications, and
  • the status of those made to the ‘previous Fund’ will then be clarified.

 

Prepared by Pam Saxby