NEWS from SAGA:

The SA Police Services have invited public comment – by 2 October 2011 – on the Bill designed to give birth to a 2011 Dangerous Weapons Act. To assist and encourage your participation, we have posted the Bill and its accompanying Memorandum on our website at www.saga.org.za

The introduction to the Notice – about the “Thunzi” & “Mlonzi” cases – relates to the disparity between the 40-year-old Dangerous Weapons Acts of the previous homelands (Transkei, Venda, Ciskei & Bophuhatswana) and that of the RSA as well as the fact that ‘territorial’ laws should have been repealed and replaced with ones incorporating the values of our new Constitution some time ago.

However, we regard other provisions of this Bill to be unconstitutional, an unwarranted infringement on the rights of every citizen. The Bill proposes to give extraordinary powers to the Minister some of which devolve down to the cop on the beat – who could arrest you, for example, if he/she doesn’t accept your explanation for having your pocket-knife in your pocket.

The Bill proposes that the Minister should be given the power to prohibit the manufacture and sale and even simple possession of almost anything that could possibly be used to threaten or assault someone – including your wife’s stiletto-heeled dancing shoes.

Have a read through the proposed Bill and mail off your own comments to the SAPS the sooner the better.

We’ll try to keep you posted.

Issued by: The SAGA Office  tel +27 31 5629951    fax: +27 86 5539615
For Legal requirements our physical address is given - NOT for mail Tandjo Centre, 4 Joseph Ave, Glen Anil, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.