Find out (online) what those Government departments are talking about when they refer to Section xyz of Act no. nnnn of 1972

Have you ever needed to refer to a South African Act and tried to find that document on the Internet or from a Government departments?

I have recently been involved in trying to deal with a legal issue and the other party continuously refers to Section xyz of Act no. nnnn of 1972...

then, later, to Section xyzabc of Act no. nnnn+1...

So, instead of wading through law libraries or asking the Department to copy the relevant sections for you, why not connect to Acts Online (http://www.acts.co.za)

You can browse and even search online, and if you prefer, you can purchase your own CD containing all the info (currently costs R450).

It is really cool to read what the law says exactly, as one can see the loopholes laid out a mile away.

Try reading a few.

There's even the "Constitution of South Africa": http://www.acts.co.za/constitution_of_the_republic_of_south_africa_1996.htm

and the "Electronic Communications Act": http://www.acts.co.za/electronic_communications_act_2005.htm

and the "SARS South African Revenue Services Act": http://www.acts.co.za/south_african_revenue_service_act_1997.htm

and the "Basic Conditions of Employment Act": http://www.acts.co.za/basic_conditions_of_employment_act_1997.htm

and the "Firearms Control Act": http://www.acts.co.za/firearms_control_act_2000.htm

and the "Close Corporations Act": http://www.acts.co.za/close_corporations_act_1984.htm

Scary ones like the "Lease and Rent Agreements Act" for residential leasing etc.: http://www.acts.co.za/rental_housing/index.htm

Also the new "Credit Act" (http://www.acts.co.za/nat_credit_act/index.htm). Very interesting. See how much protection has been built in to this Act.

and many more of course!

From their FAQ (http://www.acts.co.za/frequently_asked_questions.htm) page:

If the Act isn’t on Acts Online: If the Act was gazetted after 1993 you can normally find it on the web site of the government department that administers it – start start at www.gov.za and work your way around from there.

Other resources are:

www.polity.org.za

www.pmg.org.za – Parliamentary Monitoring Group (Bills and legislation in Parliament)

www.parliament.gov.za – Parliament web site

www.sabinet.co.za – Sabinet’s subscription service