President Ramaphosa Signs 3 Bills Into Law

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday signed three bills into law under Section 79(1) of the Constitution.

The bills are National Land Transport Amendment Bill, the Economic Regulation of Transport Bill, and the Municipal Fiscal Powers and Functions Amendment Bill

The National Land Transport Amendment Bill, initially presented to the President in 2020, was returned to the National Assembly for further review, according to the Presidency.

"The revised Bill amongst others seeks to amend the National Land Transport Act, 2009, to insert certain definitions and amend others and provide for non-motorized and accessible transport," the presidency said, SA News reported.

It added, "The amendments bring the Principal Act up to date with new developments and provide for certain powers of provinces and municipalities to conclude contracts for public transport services. It further expands the powers of the Minister to make regulations and introduce safety measures."

The Economic Regulation of Transport Bill aims to boost economic growth and improve welfare in South Africa by enhancing the efficiency and productivity of the transport sector.

This bill includes establishing a Transport Economic Regulator responsible for regulating prices in the transport sector, investigating complaints, and enforcing compliance.

"The Bill further seeks to establish a single regulatory body to focus on the economic regulation of the transport industry," as per the Presidency.

Whereas, the Municipal Fiscal Powers and Functions Amendment Bill seeks to regulate the power of municipalities to levy development charges and establishes a system for the municipalities to impose levies for land development applications as a condition for granting or approval of such an application for persons to use or develop land in a municipality.

"The Bill empowers municipalities, where authorized by national legislation, to impose taxes, levies and duties appropriate to local government," the presidency added.

Last month, Ramaphosa signed the National Health Insurance (NHI) bill into law to provide equal access to healthcare services and address inequalities in the country.

The president pointed out that this bill is about "efficiency and quality," adding that the provision of healthcare in this country is currently fragmented, unsustainable and unacceptable. He later explained that this bill won't affect private healthcare in the country.