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Question No 35

Mr P van Dalen (Democratic Alliance) to ask the Minister of Police:

(1) What progress has the South African Police Service made with regard to the implementation of the new Second-Hand Goods Act, Act No 6 of 2009;
(2) Whether all the police stations are mobilised and capacitated to start implementing the Act; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) How many second hand goods licences were issued in each province in each of the past five years;
(4) Whether there is a database of (a) legal and (b) illegal scrap yards; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(5) Whether any illegal scrap yards were closed in each of the past five years; if not, why not; if so, (a) how many and (b) where was each such scrap yard situated?

Reply
1. The process of implementing the Second-Hand Goods Act, 2009 (Act No 6 of 2009), is dependent on the second-hand goods regulations that must be promulgated as provided for in the Act.

The second-hand goods regulations need to provide for a wide range of businesses and the role players in the second-hand industry must also be consulted on these regulations. These role players include charities, general dealer associations, a second-hand book dealer association, a second-hand jewellers' association, an antique dealers' association, second-hand vehicle associations and recycling associations, to name but a few.

Information sessions were held with the above associations directly after the president assented to the Act and once industry feedback has been consolidated, draft regulations will be completed.
After promulgation, a period will be allowed for the various associations to become accredited with the South African Police Service, before the process of registration will commence.

2. The South African Police Service developed a resource allocation guide (RAG) in order to capacitate all the various police stations with the necessary resources to effectively implement the Second-Hand Goods Act, 2009.

It is foreseen that the RAG will be revisited after completion of the second-hand goods regulations in order to ensure that sufficient resources are available to implement the content of the Second-Hand Goods Act, 2009.

It must be recorded that the various police stations are capacitated with resources to implement the existing legislation. Such resources have already been integrated within the mentioned RAG.

3. An electronic database for second-hand goods licences issued per police station per year does not exist at present. The respective police stations are using a manual system to record second-hand goods licences.

A request to obtain the manual data has been submitted to the respective police stations. The results will be available by 1 August 2009. An uncertified estimated total of 17 413 second-hand goods licenses were issued nationwide over the past five years.

It must be recorded that the South African Police Service is currently developing an electronic database to deal with the identified shortcomings and to enhance the implementation of the Second-Hand Goods Act, 2009.

4. (a) An electronic database of legal and illegal scrap yards within the various provinces does not exist at present. An uncertified estimated total of 2 969 scrap yards exist countrywide.
b. An electronic database of illegal scrap yards within the various provinces does not exist at present.

5. (a) A total of 179 illegal scrap yards were closed.
b. A breakdown of the above figure is as follows:
* 2 Elliot
* Zamdela
* 12 Randfontein
* 1 Lulekani
* 3 Ikageng
* 1 Ashton
* 4 Uitenhage
* 2 Barrage
* 1 Acornhoek
* 1 Mhluzi
* 3 Klerksdorp
* 6 Atlantis
* 5 Humansdorp
* 2 Villeria
* 1 Jouberton
* 7 Bishop Lavis
* 2 Cradock
* 2 Cleveland
* 4 Stilfontein
* 1 Bonnievale
* 3 Algoa Park
* 1 Edenpark
* 24 Rustenburg
* 1 Darling
* 2 Mount Road
* 1 Kameelsdrift
* 3 Tlhabane
* 2 Ceres
* 1 Citrusdal
* 1 Moroka
* 9 Vryburg
* 1 Grassy Park
* 4 Mamelodi-East
* 5 Potchefstroom
* 1 Kensington
* 14 Langlaagte
* 3 Coligny
* 2 Kleinvlei
* 7 Benoni
* 1 Mafikeng
* 1 Laaiplek
* 1 Lomanyaneng
* 2 Laingsburg
* 1 Atamelang
* 6 Ladysmith
* 12 Madikwe
* 2 Manenberg
* 2 Muizenberg
* 1 Oceanview
* 2 Philippi
* 2 Ravensmead
* 3 Worcester