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Legislation

Competition Amendment Act 1 of 2009

Claims of competition law inadequacy - 5 February
There has been a feeling amongst the public and government that competition laws are inadequate as they fail to target the individuals that orchestrate the contravening practices, particularly cartel activity, Adams & Adams competition law attorney Jac Marais tells Engineering News. He says that the perception seems to be that monetary penalties have not been effective in changing the behaviour of firms and individuals, and that the financial gains achieved from cartel activity often outweigh the risk of sanction. - Polity website

Companies Act 71 of 2008

Companies Act protects small shareholders - 10 February
Shareholders' agreements may be under threat from the new Companies Act, which will extend substantial rights to minority shareholders, an expert in company law warned yesterday. If a company gives notice of a new scheme of arrangement, proposes a merger or amalgamation, or wants to sell the majority of its assets, dissenting minority shareholders could force it to buy back their shares at fair value, said Wouter Scholtz, a director at audit, tax and advisory firm Mazars, Moores Rowland. - Business Day website

Protection from Harassment Bill [B1-2010]
http://www.pmg.org.za/bill/20100201-protection-harassment-bill-b1-2010

Women's lobby warns on Harassment Bill - 12 February
However good the recently tabled Protection from Harassment Bill might be, it will fail unless it is properly implemented, the Women’s Legal Centre (WLC) has said. The bill, tabled in Parliament this week, is set to broaden the regime of protection orders or interdicts against being stalked or harassed. Cherith Sanger of the WLC said yesterday the Domestic Violence Act was designed to cover situations where the harassment occurred between partners in a domestic relationship. But this left women who are harassed by neighbours, friends or people who are unfamiliar to them unprotected. The bill is intended to block this gap in the law. - Business Day website

South African Post Office Bill [B2-2010]
http://www.pmg.org.za/bill/20100122-south-african-post-office-bill-b2-2010 

New on Parliamentary Monitoring Group website

3 February 2010 No-Fault Policy : briefing by Department of Transport Includes links to Proposals for the No-Fault Road Accident Benefit Scheme : Department of Transport. 3 February 2010 and Draft Communications Strategy (Version 3) : No-Fault Policy http://www.pmg.org.za/report/20100202-briefing-department-transport-no-fault-policy

See also :
Draft Policy on the Restructuring of the Road Accident Fund [Government Gazette Update]
Road Accident Fund [South Africa]

InfoUpdate : an Information Service supplied by the KwaZulu-Natal Law Society