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ID President Patricia de Lille has welcomed President Jacob Zuma's signing of the Competition Amendment Bill, calling the Bill ‘a defining moment in our battle to hold companies' directors criminally liable for cartel and price-fixing activities.'

The President's signing comes after Ms De Lille last week asked him in Parliament when he intended signing the Bill into law, what had prevented him from signing it and whether these obstacles would soon be removed.

President Zuma responded [see below] to De Lille as follows -

"The Presidency has received submissions from interested and affected parties citing the perceived unconstitutionality of certain provisions of the Bill. I am still considering the submissions and will make a decision soon thereafter. We are aware of the importance of the matter and will move with the necessary speed to finalise it."

The ID Leader says the President's signing of the Bill ‘could mark the beginning of a new era of business accountability, where directors found guilty of ripping off ordinary South Africans will be held criminally liable for their actions.

‘There is no reason why businesses and their directors should be left out of our national project to create a law-abiding society,' says De Lille.

‘It is only right that under the amended Act a Competition Commission finding may be used as prima facie evidence that a company was involved in prohibited behaviour.

‘In a country where millions of our people live in dire poverty, as lawmakers we cannot allow some businesses to prey on their vulnerability and it was because of this concern that the Independent Democrats submitted a Private Member's Bill to Parliament 2 years ago,' De Lille says.

‘Over the past few years directors of some of the biggest staple food suppliers have shown contempt for the ordinary consumer by engaging in cartel and price-fixing activities and we in the Independent Democrats sincerely hope that the amended Act will provide some justice and act as a deterrent,' says De Lille.

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL REPLY
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC JACOB ZUMA

WEDNESDAY, 26 AUGUST 2009

6. Mrs P de Lille (ID) to ask the President of the Republic:

(1) When does he intend signing the Competition Amendment Bill [B10D - 2000] into law;
(2) What has prevented him from signing the Bill into law;
(3) Whether these obstacles will soon be resolved; if not, why not; if so, when?
NO820E

REPLY:

The Amendment Bill was introduced to Parliament in 2008.

The Presidency has received submissions from interested and affected parties citing the perceived unconstitutionality of certain provisions of the Bill. I am still considering the submissions and will make a decision soon thereafter. We are aware of the importance of the matter and will move with the necessary speed to finalise it.