National Assembly adopts Fica Bill, urges Zuma to act with haste
Opposition MPs say there should be a limit on how long the president can take to sign bills into law
The National Assembly unanimously adopted the amended Financial Intelligence Centre Amendment (Fica) Bill on Tuesday, with opposition MPs urging President Jacob Zuma not to delay signing it into law. The bill is intended to strengthen measures to combat money-laundering and the financing of terrorism, and in particular will require enhanced vigilance over the financial transactions of prominent influential persons — including top government officials and business executives. The bill was sent back to Parliament by Zuma six months after Parliament passed it because of his concerns about the constitutionality of its provision for warrantless searches. The opposition MPs expressed concern that there was no requirement on the president to sign a bill into law, or alternatively to refer it to the Constitutional Court if he objected to it. African Christian Democratic Party MP Steve Swart suggested Parliament conduct an audit of bills passed by Parliament which were not acted upon by Zuma...
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