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16 Feb 2021

Arrest and a Criminal Record for Not Wearing a Mask!

We all know that wearing a face mask is the right and the safe thing to do, but it is also a legal requirement – and it’s one that you really don’t want to breach.

Firstly, can you be arrested for not wearing a mask?

The short answer is yes, the amended Disaster Management Act Regulations providing that –

  • Everyone (except children under six) must always wear a face mask (covering nose as well as mouth!) when in a public place.
  • It is a criminal offence not to comply with a verbal instruction to wear a face mask by an “enforcement officer” (defined to include SAPS and SANDF members, “peace officers” such as magistrates, Justices of the Peace, correctional services officers, municipal law enforcement officers and other designated officials). There are also reports of arrests without such an instruction being given beforehand, and as the police appear to be using their interpretation of the Regulations to conduct these “arrests without warning”, rather be safe than sorry – assume that if you have no mask you risk immediate arrest and prosecution.
  • You are liable on conviction to “a fine or a period of imprisonment not exceeding six months, or to both such fine and imprisonment.”
  • You need not wear a mask while undertaking “vigorous exercise” (not defined in the Regulations but presumably including fast running, cycling and the like – err on the side of caution here) provided that you continually maintain a distance of one and a half meters from any other person.

You could end up with a criminal record, and that’s real trouble

You can of course elect to go to court to fight the charge, but often you will also be given the alternative of paying an “admission of guilt” fine.

It will be a tempting offer at the time but be careful – paying a fine is one thing but if you end up with a criminal record (an entry in the SAPS Criminal Record Centre database) you will regret it. Imagine for example a scenario where you apply for a job, or a travel visa, or a firearms licence, or for credit (such as a home loan). And suddenly up pops your long-forgotten criminal record, a nasty surprise at the worst possible time.

Plans to change the law so that only some admission of guilt fines will result in a criminal record have so far come to nought. So as the law stands you will end up with a “deemed” conviction and sentence – and thus a record – if you are arrested and your fingerprints are taken. Which is exactly what the Minister says will happen to you.

And once you have a criminal record, it’s not at all easy to get rid of it.

Three ways you can try to remove your criminal record

  1. Firstly, you can apply for “expungement” of the record to remove it from the CRC database, but that option is only available to you after 10 years and for certain “minor offences”. It will also take a long time to process – “20 – 28 weeks” per SAPS. Note that some specified minor convictions fall away automatically after 10 years – ask for specific advice.
  2. Secondly, you could ask a court to set aside your conviction and sentence – costly, not an immediate fix, and not guaranteed to succeed.
  3. Thirdly, you could hope that planned amendments to our criminal procedure laws will retrospectively come to your aid – speculative for now.

The bottom line – wear your mask, and don’t admit guilt without legal advice!

This article was published recently by LawDotNews. We credit the original author.

27 Aug 2020

BACKLOGS IN THE DEEDS OFFICE CAUSE TROUBLE FOR RATEPAYERS

For property sales in the City of Cape Town, the account for municipal property rates and services is transferred into the name of the buyer as soon as the City is advised that registration of transfer of ownership has taken place. In pre-COVID times this used to happen quite soon after transfer, and before the seller’s advance payment to obtain their rates clearance certificate had been used up. The City does however only transfer the account from the seller to the buyer when it is told of the transfer of ownership by the Deeds Office. They will not accept this information from another source.

As we all know, the Deeds Office has fallen behind in their work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and information confirming transfer of ownership is not going through to the City. This has resulted in sellers still being billed for municipal property rates and services, even though their transfers have been registered months ago.

Many sellers affected by this have been calling us to complain. Some have continued to pay the account. This is our advice:

  1. The City will not transfer the account on the strength of our notification, so we cannot assist to speed this up.
  2. The seller just has to bide their time and wait for the information to reach the City from the Deeds Office, at which stage the account will be transferred into the name of the buyer.
  3. The seller is not obliged to pay the bill, and it is highly unlikely that the City will do anything about it, as the City is aware that the property is in the process of being transferred, and of the delays in the Deeds Office.
  4. If the seller has paid the bill after transfer, this payment will be refunded to the seller by the City when the account is transferred to the buyer’s name.
  5. The buyer should not pay the bill, as this payment would then be refunded to the seller, and the buyer will be asked to pay a second time when they receive the first bill from the City.
  6. The buyer beware! The first bill from the City will be a big one, for the period from the date of the transfer of ownership, up to the date of the first account, so start saving.

This is just another example of how the pandemic and the lockdown has caused us all additional stress. Luckily the remedy here is to do nothing. Just wait…

Warmest regards
Miltons Matsemela Inc.

24 Aug 2020

NEW RULES FOR LANDLORDS AND TENANTS UNDER LEVEL 2 LOCKDOWN

To regulate our behaviour under Level 2 of our lockdown, chapter 5 was added to the current lockdown regulations on 16 August 2020. Sections 53 and 54 in this new chapter, dealing with “Eviction” and “Rental Housing”, makes for interesting reading.

We all know that the Rental Housing Act governs residential leasing in South Africa, and that the Rental Housing Tribunals have been established in terms if this law. We should also know that there are regulations that have been published under the Rental Housing Act to outlaw unfair practices. These Unfair Practice Regulations have now been supplemented by the Level 2 Regulations.

In section 53 of the new lockdown regulations, the rules for evictions have been amended again. A court now has the power to suspend or stay an order for eviction after considering the impact of the order on the tenant, how the State of Disaster has affected them, the relative prejudice to the parties, and also whether the landlord “has taken all reasonable steps in good faith to make alternative arrangements” including payment arrangements, to avoid the eviction.

The new lockdown regulation also states that eviction orders will not be able to be acted on until after the state of disaster, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

In section 54 of the new lockdown regulations, the duty of the landlord to ensure the leased premises are supplied with basic services has been emphasised. It is now a deemed unfair practice if the services to the leased premises are terminated without the tenant first being given notice, and an opportunity to make representations. It is also a deemed unfair practice for a landlord not to make arrangements to reach an agreement regarding alternative payment arrangements, so as to make provision for the ongoing provision of basic services to the leased premises.

This regulation seems to place a duty on the landlord to negotiate not only with the tenant regarding the payment for services, but also with the municipality, in circumstances where the Landlord is also unable to pay the bills.

Section 54 goes on to provide that, if the tenant falls onto arrears as a result of the disaster, landlords are not allowed to levy any penalty, apart from interest, in respect of these late payments.

Most notably, in terms of section 54, it is now deemed to be an unfair practice if a landlord fails “to engage reasonably and in good faith” to make arrangements for the effects of the disaster, or if the landlord acts unreasonably or oppressively having regard to the prevailing circumstances. This regulation again emphasizes the obligation on the landlord to enter into negotiations regarding rental payments, either to negotiate a reduction of the rent or to agree on payment holidays.

The message here is clear. Landlords need to act sympathetically towards tenants whose ability to perform in terms of their leases has been negatively affected by the disaster, and they need to actively engage with tenants before attempting to enforce their rights. (Landlords should also retain records of these attempts so that these negotiations can be proved in court). The irony of the matter however lies in the fact that it is not the illness that has caused the economic meltdown that has destroyed the livelihood of many tenants, but rather the same regulations that the government now attempts to use to ameliorate their plight.

Also in section 54, the authority of the Rental Housing Tribunal has been extended to enable it to grant urgent orders to restore possession of rental premises to tenants who have been unlawfully evicted, or to restore services to a premises where they have been cut off, without first affording the Landlord the opportunity to be heard. Previously this authority to grant orders restoring possession was vested only in the courts. The Landlord against whom such an order is made can then convene a hearing of the Tribunal, on 24 hours’ notice, to give their side of the story.

Interesting times indeed.

Deon Welz

Miltons Matsemela Inc.

18 Aug 2020

LATEST UPDATE ON THE CAPE TOWN DEEDS OFFICE & CITY OF CAPE TOWN RATES ACCOUNTS

  1. We are pleased to report that we received word from the Cape Town Deeds Registry this morning that they are going to extend the time which Conveyancers have to register transactions from 5 working days, as from when the Deeds are available for registration, to 10 working days. The Deeds Offices’ current protocol only allows 1 member of staff from each Law Firm to enter the building in order to take care of registrations, to remove notes that were raised by examiners and to attend to Deeds searches etc. Any firm that has high volume is finding it virtually impossible to attend to everything that needs to be attended to every morning as a result of the staff limitation and this of course has an impact on every firm being able to deal with any notes that may have been raised on Deeds that have come up for registration. This additional 5 working days will therefore provide much needed relief to any Conveyancer who has to attend at the Deeds Office.
  2. We have also noticed an increase in enquiries from Sellers and Purchasers wanting to know why their City of Cape Town Rates Accounts have not been amended to reflect the change of ownership, despite several months having passed after transfer. It would appear that the Deeds Office has not been communicating with the City of Cape Town regarding registrations, since lockdown. Normally records are changed within 3 to 6 weeks by when Sellers start receiving final statements and refunds and Purchasers start receiving their new accounts. This can only be ascribed to the backlog of lodgements etc. at the Deeds Office and the shortage of staff. We wish to remind all parties that the City of Cape Town will only update their records once they receive confirmation of change of ownership from the Deeds Office and not a 3rd party.

Warmest regards

Miltons Matsemela
18 August 2020

13 Aug 2020

MINISTER INTERVENES ON DEEDS OFFICE BACKLOG

The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Ms Thoko Didiza, has intervened to address the challenges of backlogs in all deeds offices. Here are the measures that will be put in place:

  1. Examiners will be able to examine documents at home;
  2. The restriction of having only 30% of staff at the deeds office will be done away with;
  3. Offices will be re-arranged (again) to ensure social distancing and safety;
  4. IT systems are to be upgraded and staff will be equipped to work from home;
  5. Decontamination will be done only in affected areas and the offices will only be closed in extreme circumstances.

To read the full media release, click here.

We sincerely hope that these measures will go some way to enabling us to get our registrations done within reasonable time periods, and we will keep you advised of developments.

Warmest regards
Miltons Matsemela

12 Aug 2020

Lockdown “Admission of Guilt” Fines – The Criminal Record Risk

The lockdown laws we are subject to are many, varied and easily broken, with substantial penalties for contraventions. Anyone accused of breaking any of them will probably be offered the option of paying an “admission of guilt” fine. If that happens to you, just be very careful before opting to go that route – tempting as it is to pay up and put the whole thing behind you, it could land you with a criminal record.

Having a criminal record comes with serious and lifelong negative consequences. Even an old and long-forgotten minor offence can hang around in the background until it suddenly pops up at the worst possible times – such as when you apply for a travel visa or a new job.

The general rule is that you will acquire a criminal record if you are arrested, if the police open a docket and take fingerprints, and if you are thereafter convicted of a crime.

The problem with admission of guilt fines is that they may well leave you with a “deemed” conviction and sentence which will end up in the SAPS Criminal Record Centre (CRC) database. Although there was talk in the past of the CRC capturing convictions with just your name and I.D. number the main risk seems to still be in having your fingerprints taken. If that happens, the “crime” is sure to be recorded against your name.

And once you have a criminal record, it’s not easy to get rid of it.

  1. Firstly, you can apply for “expungement” of the record to remove it from the CRC database, but that option is only available to you after 10 years and for certain “minor offences”. It will also take a long time to process – “20 – 28 weeks” per SAPS.
  2. Secondly, you could ask a court to set aside your conviction and sentence – costly, not quick and not guaranteed to succeed.
  3. Thirdly, you could hope that planned amendments to our criminal procedure laws will retrospectively come to your aid – speculative and not yet in the pipeline.

The bottom line – if you are offered the option of paying an admission of guilt fine, ask for advice before you accept!

This article is an edited version of an article published recently by LawDotNews, and we credit the original authors.

29 Jun 2020

THE LATEST LEVEL 3 REGULATIONS EXPLAINED

On 25 June 2020, Government gazetted a set of amendments to the Regulations that govern lockdown which came into effect immediately. Relevant Cabinet members were then called on to issue directives governing their respective portfolios. Today, these have been gazetted and are in effect.

Click here for the amended Level 3 Regulations, highlighting the new changes.

What does this mean for us?

Here are the major changes:

  • Exercise from 06h00 to 18h00 in groups of up to 4 persons is now permitted, provided health protocols and social distancing measures are adhered to.
  • Worship gatherings within the same province, conferences (for business purposes), cinemas, theatres and casinos are to open again. All of these are limited to 50 people or less, given the respective facilities, and are subject to strict adherence to all health protocols and social distancing measures.
  • Sporting activities, subject to directions issued by the Cabinet member responsible for sport, are permitted in the following manner-
    • non-contact sports matches, which may only include players, match officials, journalists, medical and television crew members; and
    • contact sports for training only.
  • Restaurants, Museums, Galleries, Libraries, Archives and all Personal Care enterprises may open again, subject to the strict adherence to all health protocols and social distancing measures.

The following premises remain closed and their related activities prohibited: Gyms; sports grounds and swimming pools (except for training of professional sportsmen and women and non-contact sports matches); fêtes and bazaars; night clubs; accommodation establishments not formally accredited and licensed, such as private homes for short term letting for paid leisure purposes; any on-consumption premises including bars, taverns and shebeens; beaches and public parks and both domestic air travel and travel on passenger ships for leisure.

There have been no changes made to the regulations governing the sale of tobacco or alcohol.

We shall continue to keep you updated as more information becomes available.

Kindest regards.

Miltons Matsemela Inc.
29 June 2020

26 Jun 2020

FINAL DATES FOR POPI TO COME INTO FORCE. TIME TO GET COMPLIANT.

On 22 June 2020, the Presidency confirmed the effective dates for the commencement of the bulk of the remaining sections of the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act.

Parliament assented to the POPI Act on 19 November 2013. The commencement date of section 1, Part A of Chapter 5, section 112 and section 113 was 11 April 2014.

Under proclamation No. R. 21 of 2020 in Gazette no. 11136, Vol. 660 No 43461 dated 22 June 2020, the commencement date of the other sections is 01 July 2020 (with the exception of section 110 and 114(4) which shall commence from 30 June 2021).

The aforementioned sections of the Act which commence on 1 July 2020 relate to:

  • Conditions for the correct management and process of personal information;
  • The regulation for special personal information processing;
  • The Codes of Conduct issued by the Information Regulator and the procedures for dealing with complaints; and,
  • The Provisions regulating direct marketing by means of unsolicited electronic communication and general enforcement of the Act.

It should be noted that section 114(1) states that all forms of processing of personal information must, within one year after the commencement of the section, be made to conform to the Act. Thus all entities, private and public, must be compliant with the Act by 01 July 2021.

Warmest regards,

Miltons Matsemela
23 June 2020

24 Jun 2020

THE EMERGENCY SUPLEMENTARY BUDGET – HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE PROPERTY SECTOR?

There were no surprises in Minister Mboweni’s supplementary budget speech delivered today, 24 June 2020. Tax rates, transfer duty and VAT all remain the same. The government has also budgeted to pay R3 billion to ensure the solvency of the Land Bank.

Original estimates as to how our economy would perform this year have been negatively affected, and the economy is now expected to contract by 7.2%.

In his speech, the Minister highlighted the increasing gap between tax collection and expenses, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and has budgeted to borrow an additional $7 billion to balance the accounts.

The Minister was acutely aware of the possibility of a sovereign debt crises, which would occur if the country would be unable to service its debt. To prevent this there are plans to stabilise debt repayment during the 2023/24 budget. Until then our national debt will certainly increase.

We will keep you informed of any other important developments that might come to light in the legislation that follows the speech.

Warmest regards,

Miltons Matsemela
24 June 2020

19 Jun 2020

COURT ORDERS DEEDS OFFICE TO WORK

The Cape Town High Court has today, 19 June 2020, ordered that the Cape Town Deeds Office must continue with full operations. The Order is subject to protocols being implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The Court went on to deal with the backlog that has built up during the hard lockdown and the subsequent period of interrupted service. The Minister and the Registrar of Deeds must now develop a plan to deal with the backlog which must be published within 5 days.

We are extremely pleased that the matter has been dealt with so expeditiously and we look forward to the Deeds Office returning to normal operations in the not too distant future.

At Miltons Matsemela we are proud to have been part of this initiative, and we will continue to do what we can to support the industry and our partners in property.

Warm regards

Miltons Matsemela.

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