Act riles second-hand book dealers

Credit: Salvatore Vuono

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The 1955 act was amended this year in order to prevent the sale of stolen goods and will now force book dealers to record the purchase and sale of every book they handle, which could force them out of business.

The chairman of the South African Book Dealers Association (Sabda), Ian Balchin, said including books in this act was a gross error brought about by “political chicanery” rather than consideration of the facts.

“In fact, the National Council of Provinces select committee voted to remove books in 2008 following our detailed representations to them. This was reversed within the portfolio committee on safety and security only days before the bill was taken to the National Assembly to be voted into law. The reversal was made with no reference to Sabda.

“We believe that an outright misrepresentation of our publicly stated position was made by a committee member, former African National Congress MP Annelize van Wyk, thus misleading the entire portfolio committee that we were happy for books to be included in the act.”

Dianne Kohler Barnard of the Democratic Alliance has also blamed Van Wyk for the inclusion of books in the draft legislation. “She based her submissions on personal feelings that her own collection of books might be targeted by thieves.”

Sabda is now negotiating to obtain exemption from the “onerous” provisions of the act.

Source: Business Day

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