Lindsay Dentlinger23 July 2024 | 12:00

Ramaphosa signs Climate Change Bill, Public Procurement Bill into law

A third bill which has now become law, is the National Small Enterprise Amendment Bill, which will consolidate financing for entrepreneurs into a new entity.

Ramaphosa signs Climate Change Bill, Public Procurement Bill into law

President Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: GCIS

CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed a slew of bills into law, including one on public procurement, which was rejected by two of the Government of National Unity (GNU) partners. 
 
He's also assented to the Climate Change Bill, which spells out the country’s response, mitigation and adaptation actions to the global threat. 
 
A third bill which has now become law, is the National Small Enterprise Amendment Bill, which will consolidate financing for entrepreneurs into a new entity.
 
Last week, Ramaphosa assented to the Pension Amendment Bill, which ensures employees of parastatals also benefit from the new two-pot retirement system. 
 
He has now added more legislation passed by the previous Parliament to the statute books. 
 
These include the Public Procurement Bill, which will require all state departments and public entities to procure goods and services using a preferential framework. 
 
The Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus have both rejected the legislation and the Western Cape voted against it when it came before the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in May.
 
Presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya: "The Public Procurement Act addresses weaknesses in the procurement of goods and services by organs of state that have in the past enabled various degrees of corruption, including state capture."
 
Meanwhile, the National Small Enterprise Amendment Act establishes a new finance agency incorporating existing development and financing bodies to assist budding entrepreneurs. 
 
The act also establishes an ombud service to deal with issues of unfair trading.