Legal South Africa weekly newsletter - 17 Sep 2013

Avoid bad BEE practices

Whether one likes it or not, laws applicable to BEE are in place, and in this article Deon Oberholzer shows you the 10 bad BEE practices that could result in you losing your business.

This must be the only country in the world with a so-called "strike season" - so it's no surprise to learn that the new tyre manufacturing industry negotiations deadlocked.

Doesn't anyone seem to realise that a strike is the last resort, not among the first?

Some might think, with good reason, that this country is becoming a nanny state, and others might be in total agreement with the proposed ban, but in the meantime, the alcohol industry is demanding a say on the bill banning alcohol advertising.

Come on, admit it... our taxis are among our favourite road-users... NOT! So here's a heady little tale of the taxi that shocked police officers.

Rod Baker, Content Director

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POPI must comply

[Lize de la Harpe] The Protection of Personal Information Bill ("POPI") was passed by parliament on 20 August 2013. The bill will now be sent to the president to sign into law and will come into operation upon being published in the Government Gazette, or upon a later date if specified by the president. Read more >>

POIB: Sanef still wants public interest defence clause

New legal hotline launched to report bad lawyers

ICANN's Amazon problem

Bata Toughees' sole reason for suing rival

SA Charter of Students' Rights and Responsibilities created

South Africa lags behind other parts of the world when it comes to defining the rights of students in a single document. The Bill of Rights covers their most basic rights; however, an opportunity exists to start the process of solidifying rights that are specific to South African students. Read more >>

Trademark rules are a first for Rooibos protection

The publication of rules governing the use of the name Rooibos is a first step in preventing its misuse and achieving international protection for the iconic South African plant, says the South African Rooibos Council. Read more >>

Do not underestimate the value of design protection

Blue Label considers its options in dispute

[Thabiso Mochiko] Blue Label Telecoms reiterated in a Sens statement on Monday (9 September) that it was considering its legal options in the dispute between former Blue Label subsidiary Africa Prepaid Services Nigeria (APSN) and Telkom as well as Multi-Links Telecommunications Limited‚ a former wholly-owned subsidiary of Telkom. Read more >>

Domestic crime is on the rise

Crimes committed by domestic workers in South Africa are on the rise and employers need to know how to deal with this constructively. According to Statistics South Africa, over one million people work as domestic servants in South Africa. As with most crimes in South Africa, though, there are no available statistics to indicate how serious the situation is. Read more >>

Hidden entitlements: rights of trade unions under Companies Act

[Mohsina Chenia and Nicholas Preston] The Companies Act is typically not in the foremost of one's mind when discussing the impact of labour legislation. However, employers dismiss the importance of this statute at their peril. Read more >>

Long-awaited immigration policy changes

A senior partner at the law firm Werthschröder Inc., Angelika Yakovchuk was instrumental in changing a South African immigration policy which now allows foreign professionals to apply for an extension of their work permit status in South Africa while in the country. Read more >>

Concern about rise in sick leave

The number of sick days taken between 2000 and 2013 has increased by a staggering 466%. In 2000, 700,000 days sick leave were taken by employees which rose to 3.96 million in 2013 - despite employment remaining almost stagnant during that period, according to Adcorp's latest Employment Index. Read more >>

NSA snooped on Belgium phone company: report

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: Belgian telecom giant Belgacom said on Monday its network had suffered an "intrusion" which a media report blamed on the US National Security Agency (NSA) as it snooped on communications in Africa and the Middle East. Read more >>

LvA Annual Art Auction
Lawyers Against Abuse - 16 Sep 2013 Johannesburg

Chinese law and investments in Africa
The Professional Development Project - 16 Sep 2013 to 27 Sep 2013 Cape Town

Consumer Law Update
The Professional Development Project - 19 Sep 2013 Cape Town

The protection of personal information
The Professional Development Project - 24 Oct 2013 to 25 Oct 2013 Cape Town

Procurement contract and commercial law
Lead GLobe Group - 28 Oct 2013 to 30 Oct 2013 Pretoria

Construction Contract Law
Alusani Skills & Training Network - 11 Nov 2013 to 12 Nov 2013 Johannesburg

The Companies Act and Business Rescue Seminar
Front Foot Strategic Consulting - 17 Sep 2013 Johannesburg

Criminal Evidence/Suspect Handling/Investigations
Vuthlari Marketing - 18 Sep 2013 to 20 Sep 2013 Johannesburg

Consumer Law Update
The Professional Development Project - 19 Sep 2013 Cape Town

Avoid bad BEE practices

Weekly top stories

SA credit amnesty: Consumer liabilities [Michelle Dickens]

Quick meals for Africa [Zeenat Moorad]

Absa's brand journey [Donvay Wegierski]

Grain prices lower after USDA crop report surprise [Helmo Preuss]

R1bn cement project to create more than 2,000 jobs [Sydney Masinga]

Dti trade initiative pays off for Limpopo company [Siphiwe Nyathi]

Practical approaches on how to tackle the global waste problem [Alan Kahn]

[BizCareers] Interview follow-ups and working in PR [Juliette Attwell]

Cautious optimism among manufacturers [Ntsakisi Maswanganyi]

Survey shows clothing, footwear sales lose momentum [Zeenat Moorad]

New auction boss fills Rael Levitt's shoes [Tina Weavind]

What to look for when working with travel bloggers [Andre Van Kets]

The dark side of Cloud [Rudie Raath]

Can your business continue to deliver, no matter the size of the event? [Kerry Evans]

Madama Butterfly spreads its wings [Eugene Yiga]

Second strike in motor industry stalls vehicle makers' recovery [Alexander Parker]