Legislative Developments

Cabinet approved the introduction of the Road Accident Fund Amendment Bill, 2016 in Parliament. The Bill is aligned with the National Development Plan and with Outcome 13 which provides for an inclusive and responsive social protection system by ensuring efficient service delivery and early medical intervention to assist with recovery and return to work, and no-fault cover to ease the financial burden on those who are disadvantaged.

The National Assembly has adopted the amendments to the Mining and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill and referred it to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) for consideration. This comes after the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources reprocessed the bill after President Jacob Zuma had sent it back to Parliament earlier this year to ascertain if it would pass Constitutional muster. The Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources agreed that the consultation period in the NCOP and in the Provincial Legislatures was highly compressed and recommends that the Select Committee on Land and Mineral Resources remedy this procedural defect by starting their legislative process anew.

National Treasury said that a Public Procurement Bill, aimed at consolidating the legal and policy framework for supply chain management will be considered by Cabinet before April 2017. The bill will also empower the Chief Procurement Officer to conduct lifestyle audits and review transactions across the public sector.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development invites comments on the draft Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill. The Bill will build on the existing measures such as the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (PEPUDA), 2000 (Act No 4 of 2000) to combat the social ills of racism, xenophobia and related intolerances.

The Department of Small Business Development plans to table a National Small Business Amendment bill during the 2016/17 financial year.

The Shareholder Management Bill is at its advanced stages and will be presented to Cabinet before being introduced to Parliament.

A revised Traditional Courts Bill will be tabled in Parliament before the end of the year. The bill is a product of engagements between various stakeholders including the Department of Justice and Correctional Services, Civil Society, Traditional leaders and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. The Bill prescribes parameters for opting–in and out of the traditional law system and has taken a progressive approach towards the equal participation of women.

The Department of Social Development invites the public to comment on the Draft Social Assistance Amendment Bill, 2016. The proposed law will set up an independent inspectorate to improve the management of investigations and appeals relating to social grants.

The Department of Social Development amended the Fundraising Act of 1978. The Fund Raising Amendment Bill was submitted to Cabinet to obtain approval to publish it for comments. Amongst other things, the amendment Bill provides for the discontinuation of certain funds and for the dissolution of any boards responsible for those funds.

The Red Tape Impact Assessment Bill, aimed at assessing legislation in order to reduce the regulatory burden it places on small business, has been formally introduced in Parliament.

The Minister of Finance introduced a number of bills in Parliament – This includes the Division of Revenue Amendment Bill, Adjustments Appropriation Bill, Taxation Laws Amendment Bill, Tax Administration Laws Amendment Bill, Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Bill, Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws (Administration) Bill and Finance Bill.

The Department of Justice indicated that the Cybercrime Bill will shortly be tabled in Cabinet for approval for introduction into Parliament.