Aarto traffic law, points demerit system rollout delayed yet again
This is according to the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) which said there had been recent fake news and misinformation surrounding Aarto, the government's plan to replace the existing criminal system with an administrative one. With Aarto, drivers will lose points for offences and face suspension or cancellation of their licences if they lose too many, in addition to any fine.
The controversial act, originally passed into law in 1998, has been hit by numerous delays. It was to have commenced in February 2024 but was deferred to a future date which has not been gazetted.
The points demerit system is not operational yet anywhere in the country, including in Johannesburg and Tshwane where Aarto has been piloted for more than a decade, said RTIA spokesperson Monde Mkalipi.
'The points demerit system and rehabilitation programme of traffic infringers are part of phase 3 of the Aarto rollout. Dates for the introduction of the points demerit system are likely to be included in the presidential proclamation which requires to be signed by the president with the date for the commencement of phase 2 and phase 3 of the Aarto national rollout,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
IRR survey: Growing number of South Africans oppose race-based laws
The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) has reported growing public support for its call to repeal South Africa's remaining race-based laws, following the momentum of its #WhatSACanBe campaign. Launched four months ago, the campaign promotes evidence-based policies aimed at driving economic growth and social progress. One of its key proposals is the No More Race Laws Bill. This draft legislation is designed to repeal race-based laws and end mandatory racial classification in South African law. The campaign emerges in response to the Employment Equity Amendment Act, introduced by Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth. The Act enforces race-based targets for businesses and requires individuals and companies to report on racial and gender classifications to demonstrate compliance. Makone Maja, strategic engagements manager at the IRR, criticised the legislation. 'This makes Minister Meth the perfect recipient of the No More Race Laws petition,' said Maja. 'The petition is anchored in the tenets of the No More Race Laws Bill and has so far received 12 373 signatures from ordinary South Africans who have had enough of race laws that rob the people they claim to benefit, while enabling the political elite to amass enormous wealth.' Maja argued that such laws support what the IRR describes as a system of 'fake transformation' that fails to uplift the nearly half of the population still living in poverty. According to the IRR, the Ministry of Employment and Labour has failed to deliver on job creation and continues to back legislation that undermines economic growth. The organisation noted that South Africa continues to face some of the highest unemployment rates since the dawn of democracy, particularly among the youth. 'Blame for the last 10 years of little to no growth can be laid squarely at the door of laws that favour patronage over merit and value-for-money procurement,' Maja added. 'We can no longer afford to insist that race is relevant at the expense of true development and economic growth.' The IRR intends to deliver both the draft bill and the petition signatures to Minister Meth, urging her to take the first step toward inclusive, merit-based job creation by removing race-based policies. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
IRR challenges racial classification laws with new draft bill and petition
The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) has reported growing public support for its call to repeal South Africa's remaining race-based laws, following the momentum of its #WhatSACanBe campaign. Launched four months ago, the campaign promotes evidence-based policies aimed at driving economic growth and social progress. One of its key proposals is the No More Race Laws Bill. This draft legislation is designed to repeal race-based laws and end mandatory racial classification in South African law. ALSO READ: Institute of Race Relations demands list of expropriating authorities from government The campaign emerges in response to the Employment Equity Amendment Act, introduced by Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth. The Act enforces race-based targets for businesses and requires individuals and companies to report on racial and gender classifications to demonstrate compliance. Makone Maja, strategic engagements manager at the IRR, criticised the legislation. 'This makes Minister Meth the perfect recipient of the No More Race Laws petition,' said Maja. 'The petition is anchored in the tenets of the No More Race Laws Bill and has so far received 12 373 signatures from ordinary South Africans who have had enough of race laws that rob the people they claim to benefit, while enabling the political elite to amass enormous wealth.' Maja argued that such laws support what the IRR describes as a system of 'fake transformation' that fails to uplift the nearly half of the population still living in poverty. ALSO READ: Germiston leads SA's fight against plastic waste According to the IRR, the Ministry of Employment and Labour has failed to deliver on job creation and continues to back legislation that undermines economic growth. The organisation noted that South Africa continues to face some of the highest unemployment rates since the dawn of democracy, particularly among the youth. 'Blame for the last 10 years of little to no growth can be laid squarely at the door of laws that favour patronage over merit and value-for-money procurement,' Maja added. 'We can no longer afford to insist that race is relevant at the expense of true development and economic growth.' The IRR intends to deliver both the draft bill and the petition signatures to Minister Meth, urging her to take the first step toward inclusive, merit-based job creation by removing race-based policies. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
4 days ago
- IOL News
Neasa and Sakeliga mount legal challenge against employment regulations
The National Employers' Association of South Africa (Neasa) and Sakeliga have jointly filed an urgent application for an interdict against the implementation of the 2025 Employment Equity sectoral numerical quotas. The National Employers' Association of South Africa (Neasa) and Sakeliga have jointly filed an urgent application for an interdict against the implementation of the 2025 Employment Equity sectoral numerical quotas and accompanying administrative regulations, as well as calling for the judicial review and setting aside thereof. The Minister of Employment and Labour, Dr Nomakhosazana Meth published the employment equity regulations of April 15. These quotas require employers with 50 or more employees to restructure their entire workforce to reflect national gender and racial demographics of the country. The application challenges the legality and constitutionality of the newly introduced employment equity framework. The legal challenge firstly aims for a judicial review of the procedural acts of the Minister in setting the quotas, which the organisations alledge were fraught with irregularities and inadequacies in process. Secondly, the challenge also entails a constitutional challenge of the substance of relevant sections in the Employment Equity Act (EEA), which allow for and facilitate the setting and enforcement of these quotas. In the founding affidavit, Neasa and Sakeliga argue that the Minister did not act in accordance with the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, as she failed to adhere to the prescriptions of Section 15A of the EEA prior to the setting and publishing of the 2025 sectoral numerical quotas. They claim this renders Meth's actions unlawful and invalid. The court papers, filed in the Gauteng Division of the High Court, also contend the Minister failed to properly identify, and gazette for public comment, the 18 national economic sectors for purposes of setting quotas, as required by Section 15A(4). Neasa and Sakeliga also argue that there was not proper consultation. Instead, they say stakeholders across numerous sectors were either not invited or not given adequate notice of virtual 'consultations', all of which were limited to only 1 000 attendees. "Some stakeholders were given the final quotas only hours before these so-called consultations, with most consultations allowing less than 15 minutes for feedback and discussions. The Minister completely neglected to consult with employees in the economic sectors who will be severely affected by the quotas. Consultation in this manner is woefully inadequate for the Minister to have come to a reasonable, non-arbitrary decision in respect of the quotas," they said. Neasa and Sakeliga also say the final 2025 quotas differ drastically from the earlier draft quotas published in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Despite this, they were never published for renewed public comment as required by section 15A(4) of the Act. This is a legal requirement and failure to adhere to it renders the quotas invalid. They also argue that the quotas are arbitary and do not take into account the nature, circumstances and challenges of each sector. "The Minister failed to obtain and consider a comprehensive socio-economic impact study on the consequences of introducing sectoral quotas... This cannot be rationally introduced as a legal requirement without a proper assessment of its socio-economic impacts," the legal challenge maintains. The second leg of the legal challenge questions the constitutionality and legality of the concept of forced ministerial quotas, which will be comprehensively argued at a later stage. "Unless the Court intervenes and grants the interim relief sought, every employer that employs 50 employees or more, in every sector of the economy, will be required by legislation to prepare and implement employment equity plans to make their workforce conform to the 2025 quotas," they said. "This filing marks the next important step in preventing these impossible, irrational, and harmful employment quotas for the benefit of employers, employees, and all communities across the country." Attempts to get comment from the Department of Employment and Labour by the time of going to print were unsuccessful. BUSINESS REPORT
