Thank you very much hon Chairperson for the opportunity to present the Report of the Select Committee on Land and Mineral Resources on the Electronic Deeds Registration Systems Bill [B 35B - 2017] (National Assembly - sec 75), dated 19 March 2019.
Hon Sefako, please hold. Hon member, what you are doing is not allowed. You may use your phone privately,
whatever, but that is not allowed. Thank you very much. Hon Sefako, please proceed.
Order, Chair.
Is a point of order, hon Mampuru?
Hon Chairperson, I hear you are warning the member but I will request the indulgence so that the member deletes the pictures that are in the phone.
The hon member has just left the House. We have told here that it is out of order to do that. We will convey the message. Can we proceed, please? Hon Sefako?
Thank you one more. The Bill was referred to the committee on 13 November 2018, where after on 6 December 2018, the committee placed an advertisement on the parliamentary website calling for public comments.
The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform briefed the committee on 29 January 2019 on the Electronic Deeds Registration
Systems Bill [B 35B - 2017], with no public comment having been received.
The committee resolved that the public consultation period should be extended, with the advertisement calling for public comments to be placed on the parliamentary website, in relevant newspapers and various radio stations. To date, eight submissions were received of which three were merely comments made. The submissions received were from Mr M Surgeon; Ms N Bam-Tshangana; Ms P Faas, Banking Association of South Africa; Law Society of South Africa; amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism; University of Johannesburg and Johan Schoon for Du Plessis and Viviers.
During the deliberations of 12 March 2019, the committee noted and extensively deliberated on the proposed definition of a statutory officer. In essence, the committee agrees that the said definition would add value in clarifying potential confusion in the interpretation of the Act. However, the committee is of the view that this definition may be introduced at a later stage as a technical amendment to provide more clarity on the legislation. The committee is of the view that the definition is key, however, it found that this amendment is of a technical nature which should not delay the passing of the Bill.
The committee considered the principle of passing the Bill as far too important to be delayed due to an issue of a technical nature, which could be fixed through a technical amendment by the department as soon as possible. The committee implored the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform to prepare and introduce a technical amendment in this regard before the Sixth Parliament for consideration.
The Select Committee on Land and Mineral Resources, having deliberated on and considered the subject of the Electronic Deeds Registration Systems Bill [B 35B - 2017] (National Assembly - sec 75), referred to it and classified by the Joint Tagging Mechanism as a section 75, agreed on the Bill without any amendments. I present the Bill for consideration. Thank you.
Debate concluded.
Question put: That the Bill be agreed to.
Bill accordingly agreed to, in accordance with section 75 of the Constitution