HEALTH AND SAFETY

• The Department of Employment and Labour called for public comments on draft health and safety regulations specific to the construction industry. Once finalised and in force, the proposed new regulations:

• are expected to ensure that ‘more stringent requirements are placed upon the client, designer and contractors to prevent construction related incidents’, according to a media statement on what is envisaged, and
• will replace regulations in force since February 2014 under the 1993 Occupational Health and Safety Act. 

 

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

• The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment gazetted new appeal regulations under the 1998 National Environmental Management Act. The new regulations:
• prescribe the procedures to be followed:
• when submitting, processing, considering and determining the outcome of appeals against decisions made under the Act, and
• any sector-specific environmental management legislation
• repeal and replace:
• the December 2014 regulations under the Act itself, and
• July 2016 regulations under the 2008 National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act, and
• provide for transitional arrangements regarding:
• any pending appeal submitted before the commencement of the new regulations, which ‘must be finalised in terms of legislation applicable at the time of submission’, including:
  • environmental waste management-related appeals submitted after December 2014 under:

• • • the 2008 Environmental Management: Waste Act
    • any previously prevailing environmental impact assessment regulations, and
    • the 2015 national appeal amendment regulations.

 

LIQUOR PRODUCTS

• The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development gazetted a new set of amendments to regulations in place since 1990 under the 1989 Liquor Products Act. Immediately effective, among other things the latest amendments affect:

• the sugar and alcohol content of an array of liquor products
• the colour, flavour and aroma of various liquor products
• the origin of certain liquor products
• containers, packaging and labelling
• offences and penalties
• the appeals process, and
• miscellaneous matters specific to a wide range of liquor products.

 

VALUE ADDED TAX

• National Treasury gazetted four sets of regulations under the 1991 Value Added Tax Act. Scheduled to commence on 1 April 2025, they affect:
• the carbon tax regulations (amendments)
• the valuable metal reverse charge regulations (amendments)
• casino table games of chance (new regulations), and
• electronic services (new regulations).

 

ELECTRONIC DEEDS REGISTRATION SYSTEMS ACT

• A presidential proclamation confirmed that sections 1, 3 and 6 of the 2019 Electronic Deeds Registration Systems Act will come into effect on 1 April 2025, completing the statute’s phased commencement. Sections 3 and 6 respectively provide for the validity of deeds/documents and transitional arrangements. Section 1 lists all related definitions.

Prepared by Pam Saxby