Government Notice 8083, published on 23 October 2026 in Government Gazette 55620, invites comments on the draft National Environmental Management Laws (Administrative Penalties) Amendment Bill, 2026. This is a consultation. The Bill has no commencement date and creates no new permit, renewal or reporting requirement at this stage. South African Government
For your submission, aim to file by 22 December 2026. The official government notice page lists 25 December 2026 at 12:00 SAST. The Gazette PDF timed out when I tried to verify it directly. Published summaries report a 60-calendar-day window from the Gazette or corresponding newspaper advertisement, whichever appeared later. That gives 22 December on the Gazette date alone. Use the earlier date for planning and confirm the cutoff and submission address with DFFE before circulating either as definitive. South African Government
Why it matters for PASA/PVSA: This is an enforcement proposal with no new bird species list. It could affect breeders and traders whose keeping, breeding, movement or sale of birds is already subject to environmental permit conditions, including rose-ringed parakeet AIS permit holders. A published legal analysis describes proposed fixed and variable penalties for certain contraventions, written objections, and proposed section 31Z, which addresses when administrative penalties may be imposed in relation to criminal proceedings. I could not verify those clauses directly against the Gazette PDF. Fasken
For the submission you’re preparing, use anonymised examples from permit renewals, inspections and reporting to show where enforcement should distinguish an administrative error from deliberate unpermitted trade. Ask DFFE to explain when a breeder would receive notice and time to correct an error, how penalty amounts would be set, and how objections would work. Members should continue to follow their current permit conditions.