21 May 2013

Legal

Cloaks without daggers?

Minister of State Security Siyabonga Cwele says that a solid case is being built against South Africans suspected of having links with terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab; arrests can be expected soon. In passing, however, he also mentioned that the government wants to recruit more spies. That begs the question for some: what for? It also makes some people wonder... given the fact that we have an air force that cannot fly many of its aircraft, and an army that ... well ... hasn't fared too well recently, and a navy that has its subs up on blocks, will our budding 007s be properly trained and equipped to do the job? Or will it be a case of cloaks without daggers.

Durban says, "Yes, we iCANN!" and the city's exclusive internet namespace .durban is on its way after passing its first ICANN hurdle.

One wedding and a whitewash? Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Jeff Radebe has said that the probe into the Waterkloof incident is to continue. However, a number of commentators believe that the so-called "probe" is little more than a whitewash to protect Jacob Zuma and an assortment of cabinet ministers, with officials taking the heat in their stead.

There's nothing like trying to get the message across... the WWF and TRAFFIC are targeting rhino horn consumers, particularly in Vietnam, as part of their global campaign against illegal wildlife trade. The bodies have developed a series of advertisements to discourage Vietnamese citizens from buying or consuming rhino horn.

Well, good luck and we hope it works, but in the meantime, efforts to stop the poaching must be stepped up, the kingpins be arrested and sentenced to rot in jail, and perhaps local communities around our game reserves be involved in some sort of system that rewards them for reporting suspect activities and people in their areas.

Rod Baker, Content Director

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Weekly top stories

New regulations for electric fences
[Nico Humphries] In the recent past there have been some pertinent changes associated with the regulations regarding requirements to be obtained in the event of the transfer of a property. Read more >>
Sanral's notice "not legal" court hears
[Emsie Ferreira]
New tax act may attract litigation


Editorial news

Legal
Sport nutrition products can contain banned substances
With 55 doping violations between April 2011 and June 2012 in South Africa, the trend is increasing according to recent statistics released by the SA Institute for Drug Free Sport. However, while some athletes use drugs to seek a competitive advantage, others including amateurs may inadvertently consume banned ingredients through sports nutrition products. Read more >>


Commercial Law
Visas for British tourists will hurt SA
Requiring British tourists to obtain visas to visit South Africa could negatively affect the country's economy, Beeld reported on Tuesday. Read more >>

MMI licence changes approved
The High Court of South Africa in Pretoria has approved the amalgamation of the two main long-term insurance licences of the MMI Holdings. Read more >>

Sanral's notice "not legal" court hears
[Emsie Ferreira] Sanral's public notice on the winelands tolling project was unlawful because the national roads agency never took a proper board decision committing to the project, the Western Cape High Court heard last week. Read more >>

New tax act may attract litigation
It may take a long time to bed down what the new Tax Administration Act means because there are a host of sections which could be subject to litigation, according to high court judge and government tax review head Dennis Davis. Read more >>

New regulations for electric fences
[Nico Humphries] In the recent past there have been some pertinent changes associated with the regulations regarding requirements to be obtained in the event of the transfer of a property. Read more >>

Safeguard against SARS penalties with a tax opinion
[Graeme Palmer] The South African Revenue Services (SARS) may raise understatement penalties if prejudice has been caused to them or the fiscus. Penalties can be imposed at 25% or 50% in the case of a "substantial understatement". Read more >>

Probe into medical costs welcomed
[Tamar Kahn] The chief executive of private hospital group Life Healthcare, Michael Flemming on Tuesday (14 May) gave a cautious welcome to the Competition Commission's looming investigation into private healthcare prices‚ saying his company would co-operate with the authorities. Read more >>

Assurance complaints reach record level
The Office of the Ombudsman for Long-term Insurance received 9‚592 complaints against assurance companies in 2012‚ the highest ever and 4% more than in 2011‚ according to its latest annual report. Read more >>

Fines, payments choke Stefanutti Stocks
[Alistair Anderson] Construction company Stefanutti Stocks said on Tuesday (14 May) that late payments by debtors and provision for a hefty fine for anti-competitive behaviour were to blame for the company reporting a record R162m loss for the year to February. Read more >>

Commission to probe unscrupulous firearm dealers
PRETORIA: Following concerns that certain firearm dealers were not complying with the provisions of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000), Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa has established an independent commission to investigate the matter. Read more >>

Landlord and tenant rights and obligations
[Issued by Private Property] Tenants and landlords should enter into agreements with the intention of giving as well as getting reasonable value. In many cases, the attitude with which one approaches a deal will determine its viability and success. Read more >>  visit press office >>


Criminal Law
Magashula findings likely next week
A probe into allegations of misconduct and impropriety against South African Revenue Service (SARS) commissioner Oupa Magashula is in its final stages. Read more >>

SA terror suspects expected to be arrested soon
[Dennis Cruywagen] A solid case is being built against South Africans suspected of having links with terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab terrorist groups, Minister of State Security Siyabonga Cwele said yesterday. Read more >>


Labour Law
Solidarity, Telkom head for CCMA
Trade union Solidarity said on Tuesday (14 May) that it had referred a dispute to the Commission for Conciliation‚ Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) after wage negotiations between trade unions and telecommunications company‚ Telkom‚ reached a stalemate. Trade unions rejected Telkom's final offer of a 1.5% increase. Read more >>

Illegal strike resolved at MBSA
Striking workers at the Mercedes-Benz plant in East London are expected to return to work on Tuesday (21 May), the company said in a statement. Read more >>

Nepotism, cronyism and unethical networking
[Kay Vittee] It's not what you know, it's who you know is a phrase we often hear and use when referring to getting that proverbial foot in the door of a business, either in terms of finding employment or forging business partnerships. Read more >>


Law Practice
Cape Town Attorney Bertus Preller writes SA's first book on Divorce and Separation for the public
[Issued by Random House Struik] With one in three marriages now ending in divorce, it is imperative that each one of us is informed on the pitfalls, challenges and legal aspects involved in divorce and separation. Read more >>  visit press office >>


International
Egyptians want to ban booze sales
CAIRO, EGYPT: Egypt's liquor stores are under growing pressure to stop selling alcohol, they say, but the pressure is not from the country's Islamist government, but from society itself. Read more >>

Google branded as 'evil' by lawmaker
LONDON - A senior British lawmaker on Thursday (16 May) described Google as "evil" and accused the US internet company of unethically avoiding paying vast amounts of tax in Britain. Read more >>

Ranbaxy sold adulterated drugs in US
WASHINGTON, USA: American authorities said on Monday (13 May) that a US$500m fine would be imposed on Indian generic pharmaceutical manufacturer Ranbaxy after it pleaded guilty to selling adulterated drugs in the United States. Read more >>

More International...


Government
SA to maintain relations with UAE
The South African government says it respects the independence and judiciary of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), despite the challenges that emerged during Professor Cyril Karabus' ordeal. Read more >>

Zuma appoints 10 new judges
President Jacob Zuma has appointed 10 judges to courts around the country, the presidency said on Thursday (16 May). Read more >>

Public Enterprises wins Treasury battle
[Nicky Smith] A six-month battle between the Treasury and the Department of Public Enterprises over the empowerment and local content weighting in Transnet's R35bn acquisition of new locomotives has ended with the Treasury agreeing to let the tender go unchanged. Read more >>

More Government news...


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2013 Biz Trends Report

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