South Africa: South Africans Urged to Have Their Say On New Pieces of Legislation

What the report says

South Africans are being invited to comment on a set of draft laws announced by Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi at a media briefing in Tshwane, according to SAnews.gov.za, as carried by AllAfrica. The proposals cover illegal mining, legal practice, trust regulation and a new bill on conspiracy, instigation and incitement to commit offences. Three of the bills have been opened for public comment, while the incitement-related bill is set to go to Parliament for further processing.

The General (Mining) Laws Amendment Bill is aimed at strengthening the response to illicit mining, often associated with so-called zama zamas, rather than targeting licensed artisanal miners. The department says the changes would insert new offences and penalties across existing laws, including the Criminal Procedure Act, the Diamonds Act, the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act and the Precious Metals Act. The article says the bill also proposes much higher penalties for some diamond-related offences and gives police a clearer role in compliance work under mining law.

The Legal Practice Amendment Bill would update the Legal Practice Act, with the stated aim of improving skills development, access to the profession and access to justice. Proposed changes include giving the Legal Practice Council authority to assess certain fees for non-litigious work and adjusting some governance and funding provisions. The Regulation of Trusts Bill is intended to modernize the Trust Property Control Act and strengthen oversight, transparency and protection for beneficiaries. Separately, the proposed conspiracy and incitement bill would replace the apartheid-era Riotous Assemblies Act, which the department says is outdated and still partly in force.