Parliament's justice committee has agreed to a six-month extension to the law to allow cellular network operators to register as many people as they can and ensure very few, if any, are cut off.
Known as RICA, the law is designed to limit crime committed using cellphones and curb the theft of such devices. The law requires that anyone who has a SIM card has to register by providing a copy of their ID document and proof of residence.
Last week, the Department of Justice gazetted a draft of the amendment to the Act to allow for the deadline to be extended from the end of December until June.
Llewellyn Landers (ANC) was the only justice committee member who objected to the extension on the grounds that the operators had already had enough time to register all their subscribers. The process started in July last year.
Dene Smuts, Democratic Alliance shadow justice minister, noted that the cellular network operators had provided communications for all South African and should not be penalised for their work.
“I also have my doubts as to just how effective this law will be in curbing crime,” she noted.
Karel Pienaar, MTN SA MD, says the operators would welcome the extension as they are struggling to get the last 20% of the country's 50 million SIM cards registered.
“I don't know if it is the general South African trend to wait until the last minute, but we need time to do the last push.”
Pienaar says MTN had developed a strategy to send RICA officers to football games. These officers wondered up and down the spectator rows to ask people to register.
“This has proved to be effective, but it is time-consuming.”
While the justice committee has agreed to the change in the RICA law, it is not in effect yet.
A parliamentary staff member says the law still has to go to the National Council of Provinces, which should happen today, and then to the National Assembly, which should happen on Thursday afternoon.
Only after president Jacob Zuma signs it and it is published in the Government Gazette, would the amendment be law.
“Parliament is doing its best to fast-track it, but anything could happen,” the staff member says.
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