Legislative updates

Government plans to introduce the National Youth Development Agency Amendment bill in Parliament in this financial year.  The amendment bill will streamline the focus of the Agency as well as introduce institutional mechanisms for strengthening youth development at a provincial and local level. 

Parliament is working with provincial legislatures, under the auspices of the Speakers Forum, to accelerate the drafting of a Legislative Sector Bill. The draft legislation will provide for, among others, the governance structure and values that the legislative sector will subscribe to; legislative sector service; the establishment of the institution responsible for legislative sector training; and an inter-legislature co-operative mechanism. In addition, the legislation lays the foundation for the development of the sector Oversight Model and the sector Public Participation Framework.

The legislative programme for 2017/18 will see the introduction of the draft Shareholder Management Bill, Social Service Practitioners Bill, iNeSI Bill and Public Procurement bill. The latter bill will streamline government’s procurement processes and provide for the full implementation of the 30% procurement from SMMEs and Cooperatives.

In this financial year, the Department of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs will be processing amendments to the Municipal Demarcation Act and introducing the Intergovernmental Monitoring, Support and Interventions Bill. The same Department also intends finalising and tabling the Customary Initiation Bill to Parliament to regulate the cultural initiation practice.

The Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Bill, currently before Parliament, will place obligations on both private and public sector organisations. The Department gave an initial briefing to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services. The Committee will call for public hearings as part of the next step in the legislative process.

The process to replace the National Key Points Act with the Critical Infrastructure Bill is currently under way and undergoing consultations at NEDLAC.

The process of amending the Gas Act of 2004 has commenced, and this year a draft Gas Amendment Bill will be tabled in Cabinet. The amendments largely relate to a licensing framework for regasification infrastructure and mandating the Minister of Energy to make determinations regarding the required infrastructure.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is working on a position paper on parole, which would be followed by the drafting of a Parole Bill. The aim is to reform the parole system - making it more flexible will allow more offenders to be released before the end of their sentences.

The Department of Home Affairs has published the Discussion Paper on the repositioning of the Department of Home Affairs, and is asking you to comment. Comments can be emailed to Dr. John Carneson at [email protected] by no later than Saturday, 30 September 2017.

The Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry invites you to submit written comments on the Copyright Amendment Bill [B13-2017]. Public hearings have been scheduled for 27, 28, 29 June 2017. Comments can be emailed to Mr A Hermans at [email protected] by no later than Monday, 19 June 2017

The Department of Social Development invites you to comment on the Fund-Raising Amendment Draft Bill 2017. The Bill seeks to establish the National Social Development and Relief Fund and to transfer any amounts remaining in the discontinued funds to the National Social Development and Relief Fund. Comments can be emailed to Mr. M Ratshisusu at [email protected] by no later than Monday, 26 June 2017.

The Department of Social Development has proposed amendments to the Older Persons Act. Comment is sought on the draft bill by 30 June 2017. Among others, there is a provision which includes strict and comprehensive conditions for removing an older person to temporary safe care without a court order.

There are two Bills that were tabled in Parliament recently that have consequences for the health sector. The National Public Health Institute of South Africa Bill seeks to establish the National Public Health Institute of South Africa (‘‘the NAPHISA’’) as a juristic person. The aim of the NAPHISA is to coordinate and, where appropriate, conduct disease and injury surveillance and provide specialised public health services, public health interventions, training and research directed towards the major health challenges affecting the population of the Republic. . The National Health Laboratory Service Amendment Bill seeks to improve the governance, accountability and financial sustainability of the National Health Laboratory Service (‘‘the Service’’).