Thank you, Chairperson, hon Minister and hon members. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the co-author of my brilliant speech here today, my colleague Mr Le Roux. He unfortunately cannot be here.
The Second-Hand Goods Bill, also sometimes referred to as the Stolen Goods Bill, is in essence a fight against crime and an attempt to promote ethical standards in the second-hand goods trade.
The committee debated the Bill at length and unanimously supported this Bill. We all know that the theft of goods and especially copper cables is costing our country billions of rand each year. Huge factories, our communication network and our transport system are often crippled by criminal activities. The public at large suffers as a result of this theft and in the end pays the penalty in higher taxes and lower wages as a result of the loss of man hours.
Voorsitter, dit was baie duidelik dat die komitee 'n balans moet vind tussen die mate van regulering wat nodig is in die bedryf en die gevaar van oorregulering, wat die bedryf ernstig kan benadeel. In die oorspronklike wetsontwerp was daar wel 'n groot gevaar dat sommige klousules die bedryf sou skaad. Die handel in tweedehandse goedere is reusagtig en verdien belangrike buitelandse valuta. Skrootyster alleen verdien etlike miljarde valuta, met uitvoer veral na China en Indi.
Oor die algemeen is hierdie handel arbeidsintensief en skep dit werk vir duisende mense. Die komitee verdien lof vir die manier waarop daar aan elk van die probleemklousules aandag gegee is. Uiteindelik het ons 'n wetsontwerp wat die publiek beskerm, waarmee die sakesektor kan saamleef en wat misdaad sal bekamp.
Wat die wetsontwerp self betref, word daar vereis dat die sakesektor noulettend rekenskap moet kan gee van presies van wie produkte gekoop word en aan wie produkte verkoop word. Hierdie rekords moet stiptelik gehou word en ten alle tye beskikbaar wees vir inspeksie deur die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisie. Volle besonderhede van alle transaksies moet geboekstaaf word en die rekords moet vir vyf jaar bewaar word.
Die wetsontwerp vereis ook dat alle handelaars geregistreer word en aan die vereistes van die wetsontwerp voldoen. So, byvoorbeeld, sal persone met 'n kriminele rekord nie kan handel dryf nie.
Die wetsontwerp vereis ook dat indien 'n handelaar enigsins vermoed dat gesteelde items aan hom aangebied word, die polisie onmiddellik in kennis gestel moet word. Goedere wat aangekoop word, mag nie binne sewe dae herverkoop word nie. Dit was ook duidelik vir die komitee dat sommige bedrywighede nie aan al die vereistes van die wet sal kan voldoen nie en daarom is die tweedehandse handel in boeke en klerasie vrygespreek van die vereistes in die wetsontwerp.
Die wetsontwerp maak ook voorsiening daarvoor dat liefdadigheidsorganisasies onthef kan word van die verpligtinge van die wetsontwerp. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson, it was very clear that the committee had to find a balance between the extent of regulation required in the industry and the danger of overregulation, which could seriously harm the industry. In the original Bill there was a very real danger that some of the clauses would harm the industry. The trade in second-hand goods is enormous, earning vital foreign currency. Scrap metal alone earns several billions' worth, with exports to China and India.
In general this trade is labour-intensive and it creates work for thousands of people. The committee deserves praise for the way in which each one of the problematic clauses has been attended to. At last we have a Bill which protects the public, which the business sector can live with and which will combat crime.
As regards the Bill itself, it is required from the business sector to be able to account precisely from whom products are bought and to whom products are sold. These records must be kept accurately and should be available at all times for inspection by the SA Police Service. Full particulars of all transactions must be recorded and these records must be kept for five years.
The Bill also requires all traders to be registered and to comply with the Bill's provisions. As such, for instance, a person with a criminal record will not be able to trade.
If a trader in any way suspects that he is being offered stolen goods, the Bill requires him to inform the police immediately. No goods that have been purchased may be resold within seven days. It was also clear to the committee that some activities would not meet the requirements of the legislation and therefore the second-hand trade in books and clothing have been exempted from the provisions of the Bill.
The Bill also provides that welfare organisations can be exempted from the requirements of the Bill.]
In Chapter 3 the Bill provides for the establishment of accredited dealers' associations. The aim of these associations is to self-regulate their members and to enforce ethical standards. In clause 41 of the Bill the Minister may make regulations to ensure that the objectives of the Bill can, in fact, be achieved.
All provinces supported the Bill in principle, but certain concerns were raised. The Eastern Cape raised a valid concern as to whether the SAPS has the capacity to enforce the Bill. This raises the interesting point that good legislation is meaningless if the capacity to enforce it is lacking.
Voorsitter, die handel in gesteelde goedere is vir ons almal in Suid-Afrika 'n baie groot probleem. Hierdie wetsontwerp skep 'n raamwerk waarin handelaars, die polisie en die publiek kan saamwerk om misdaad te bekamp. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Chairperson, the trade in stolen goods is a very big problem for all of us in South Africa. This Bill creates a framework within which traders, the police and the public can work together in order to combat crime. I thank you.]