Tag: Webber Wentzel

At various stages during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, various studies were released on the negative impact that COVID-19 will have on the construction sector. Some studies predicted that the sector could experience a total of 140,000 job losses.

The paper details competition and regulatory issues in the South African digital economy and sets out the Commission's intended strategic actions in relation to competition law issues, and proposed strategic actions for other regulators to consider concerning their respective regulatory areas, namely telecommunication and broadcasting, data protection and financial services regulators.

​​​​​​In a recent judgment, Gold One Limited v Madalani and Others (JR 1109/15) [2020] ZALCJHB 180 (9 September 2020), the Labour Court confirmed that intolerability is a high threshold in constructive dismissal matters. Intolerability is more than a working environment or working under employment conditions that are difficult, unpleasant or stressful.

Early dismissal procedures can be used in international arbitration to dispose of defective claims and defences, without incurring the costs of a full hearing. Speed and efficiency are the main attractions of international commercial arbitration, but there is increasing concern about how long it takes to resolve a dispute, especially in matters where costs are disproportionate to what is at risk.

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) released the long-awaited Invitation-to-Apply (ITA) for both the international mobile telecommunications (IMT) spectrum, also known as high-demand spectrum, and the wireless open-access network (WOAN) on 2 October 2020.

The JSE has identified focus areas for listed companies to consider when raising capital to weather the COVID-19 crisis, including the amount of information they need to disclose. Over the last few months, many issuers have approached investors to raise capital to weather the COVID-19 storm or are in the process of doing so.

The envisaged future relaxation of the prohibition on 'loop structures' will be accompanied by amended tax laws, but current proposals are likely to result in more tax on certain structures. National Treasury has proposed a number of amendments to tax legislation as a result of the potential future relaxation of the SA Reserve Bank's current prohibition on so-called 'loop structures'. 

Transfer pricing audits can be onerous, but taxpayers can achieve a more successful outcome by providing all information requested, anticipating areas of concern, and engaging openly with the South African Revenue Services (SARS).

The Minister of Employment and Labour has published for comment a Draft Code of Practice on the Prevention and Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work (Code). The Code applies to all sectors (both public and private) in the formal and informal economy.

An interview with Safiyya Patel, Partner, Webber Wentzel, and Dr Ivor Blumenthal, CEO, ArkKonsult, discussing the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Commission’s latest report on empowerment trends in 2019.