Cabinet amends bill to alleviate plight of debtors

Pretoria – Cabinet has approved the amendment of a bill which seeks to alleviate the plight of debtors who find themselves on the receiving end of abuses in the debt-collecting system in the Magistrates’ Courts.

The amendment also accommodates the Department of Trade and Industry’s project to remove adverse consumer credit information, Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Jeff Radebe said on Thursday.

He was briefing the media on the outcomes of a Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.

Minister Radebe said Cabinet approved the submission of the Courts of Law Amendment Bill of 2015 to Parliament.

“The Bill seeks to address and bring to an end judgments that are granted irregularly, mostly by clerks of courts without any judicial oversight, many times due to inexperience or collusion with the creditors, their attorneys or debt collectors.

“The Bill would ensure debtors are granted judgement that comply with an instalment order or Emoluments Attachment Order that is within the legal set out instalment threshold,” he said.

The Bill amends the Magistrates’ Courts Act, 1944 (Act 32 of 1944) and the Superior Courts Amendment Act, 2013 (Act 10 of 2013).

The Bill seeks to amend sections of the Magistrates’ Courts Act, 1994 (Act No. 32 of 1994) (the MCA), to address abuses in the Emoluments Amendments Order (EAO).

Cabinet also approved the publication of the Deeds Registries Amendment Bill of 2015 for public comments.

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“The Bill aims to amend the Deeds Registries Act, 1937 (Act 47 of 1937) in order to migrate from paper to electronic methods deeds office.

“It address security issues by providing of registration of conveyances as authorised users of the electronic deeds registration system,” Minister Radebe said.

The Bill amends the Deeds Registries Act, 1937 (Act 47 of 1937).

Further, Cabinet approved the submission of the Plant Health (Phytosanitary) Bill of 2015 to Parliament.

“The Bill aligns South Africa’s legislation with relevant obligations and standards to facilitate safe and fair international trade to secure the country’s domestic and international trade in plants and plant products.

“Once the Bill is passed, South Africa will be able to prevent the introduction of foreign quarantine pests and diseases that may spread harmful pests and diseases of plants in the country,” Minister Radebe said.