Useful laws to know

[Debbie]

I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of links to useful summaries of the laws that are likely to affect many forumites. (I know this has nothing to do with broadband, blah blah blah).

Whenever I come across something suitable I will post the link here.

1. Small Claims Court: If you have been screwed over by a company, an individual, your municipality etc, and the amount of money you seek is R7 000 or less, then take a look at the Smalls Claims Court procedure: http://www.doj.gov.za/2004dojsite/br..._smcourtsp.pdf OR http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/static/hel...sCourtFAQ.html

2. Important Tax Info (2006): http://www.treasury.gov.za/documents...B05PocketG.pdf
Budget/Tax info (2008/9):http://www.treasury.gov.za/documents...ide%202008.pdf

3. Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA): This is a PDF file explaining PAIA in 'plain language'. The PAIA Act is about entrenching democracy in South Africa by 'forcing' transparency and accountability in corporations, government and other bodies with power in our society. More specifically, it is about giving citizens access to information about corporations and the government.

What information are you entitled to? What information are corporations and public bodies/government required to provide you with on your request? What kind of information can you be refused access to? This PDF can be found at: http://www.opendemocracy.org.za/PDF/...0the%20Act.pdf

4. Basic Conditions of Employment Act: If you are an employer or an employee, I think it is pretty important to be familiar with this Act, especially the parts about working hours, overtime, leave, family and sick leave, the payment of interest, severence pay and dispute procedures:http://www.labour.gov.za/download/78...Employment.pdf

5. Claims for interest on debts: This is a short note explaining the law's view (if there is such a thing) on interest. I thought it was pretty interesting and a worthwhile read: http://www.arbitrators.co.za/arbsnew/practice/pn5.htm

6. Capegateway: If you live in the Western Cape and need any information on government services (such as getting a vehicle licence, contraception, traffic fines etc) this government-run website is excellent: http://www.capegateway.gov.za/eng/

7. Rental Housing Act 1999: http://www.info.gov.za/gazette/acts/1999/a50-99.pdf

8. Are you married and don't know it? http://home-affairs.pwv.gov.za/statu...tal_status.asp (does not work if you only wish you were or were not married).

[hj2k_x]

Good idea. Keep them coming

[Gooku]

Nice work , this is not off-topic ,I think this thread is useful in consumerism section , If Dedbbie2 agrees.

[Debbie]

Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA): This is a PDF file explaining PAIA in 'plain language'. The PAIA Act is about entrenching democracy in South Africa by 'forcing' transparency and accountability in corporations, government and other bodies with power in our society. More specifically, it is about giving citizens access to information about corporations and the government.

What information are you entitled to? What information are corporations and public bodies/government required to provide you with on your request? What kind of information can you be refused access to? This PDF can be found at: http://www.opendemocracy.org.za/PDF/...0the%20Act.pdf

(Mods, move this thread to consumerism and deregulation if you want - I think it's a good idea).

[Debbie]

I got to post this here, it's so outrageous you just have to laugh!

A drug dealer took one of his customers to a Small Claims Court because the customer owed him money for drugs. The court ordered the customer to pay the dealer for the drugs.

http://www.smallclaimssa.co.za/highlights.html (second article)

[Gatecrasher]

http://www.smallclaimssa.co.za/highlights.html (second article)

Wow, what a great read. Thanks for the link, Debbie.

[ponder]

I got to post this here, it's so outrageous you just have to laugh!

Thanks for the link, some interesting reading on that site

[AcidRaZor]

http://roso.epfl.ch/dm/murphy.html

[TonyA]

Thanks for info, it doesn't ease the pain of paying but at least understand why!

[FxpForce]

Thanks for info

[captainwifi]

I
What information are you entitled to? What information are corporations and public bodies/government required to provide you with on your request? What kind of information can you be refused access to?

And if a company refuses to provide the information as PAIA stipulates then what exactly is John Welch the deputy director of prosecutions going to do about it? John Welch is under no obligation to enforce notices in the government gazette for example. The legislative is seperate from the executive. For example mr.Welch might find it unconstitutional to demand sensitive information from a company etc. Please seperate the civil/social implications of ignoring a law from the criminal implications.

I personally find the PAIA act unreasonable and I will not hand out any sensitive information to anybody that
requests it. I haven't even read the act. Couldn't care less, I will only take notice if John Welch says something.

What court case are your refering to when you say that the public could 'demand information'? Demand according to which judge? A judge must decide wether the PAIA is constitutional, but since the NPA would never prosecute anybody for failing to comply we won't ever find out. Thus a company is 100% within it's constitutional rights to refuse to comply with the PAIA act.
We all have agendas in life. Lets for example take the agenda of www.ispa.org.za the company you work for. Ispa wouldn't want the public to know that the NPA isn't going to enforce the PAIA act. Because the public might then also deduce that the NPA won't enforce the Broadcasting Act, Act.96, ECA or other laws meant to censor freedom of speach and
hinder communities from establishing their lines of communication. Let me put it this way. If Icasa were to ban private telephone poles under the ECA as it may do (see p.12/13/14/15) then I will plant telephone poles and openly challenge John Welch to arrest me. Infact I would suggest that Welch rather investigate the Telecom's firm who would have bribed the relevent official.

Let me try and clarify this further. The Dont panic satellite broadcaster is openly laughing in Icasa's face. Icasa
actually laid a criminal charge of violating the Broadcasting Act against them. And what happened ? Nothing, absolutely
nothing. Did John Welch say anything? Nope, not a word not even a wisper. Yes, I know the ECA will replace the
broadcasting act, but the principle remains. If Welch won't enforce the Broadcasting act/Act.96 then why would
he enforce rulings by bribed officials that violate the "reasonable man principle" under the ECA.

What is getting me concerned is the moronic responses to my posts on planting telephone poles and establishing our lines of communications between houses. To pull-off this stunt we need a rapid roll-out so that we can form a powerblock against www.ispa.org.za , Telkom and Icasa. A judge would be reluctant to get involved in a fight with a couple of thousand houses. The strategy of divide and conquer has worked well for vested Telecoms interests.

South African residential areas are becoming a battleground. We collectivly speaking are involved in a war. And the
first thing you do is to establish your lines of communication in a war situation. By sheer force of intimidation
vested interests have scared naive South Africans into not thinking or even discussing the possibility of what needs to
be done.

[kilo39]

Good one captainwifi - yup - we should all be sharing our connections with our neighbours.

[Debbie]

Numbers 4, 5 and 6 added to original post.

[Claymore]

National Road Traffic Act

Road Traffic Signs

[-toady-]

*we should all be sharing our connections with our neighbours.*

I dont plan on sharing my DroneMaster next door with Anyone else !