Civilian Secretariat Calls for Comment on Stock Theft and Second-Hand Goods Draft Bills

Brought to you by SA Legal Academy: The Civilian Secretariat for the Police Service has published notices calling for public input on two draft legislative interventions amending the statutory frameworks governing second-hand goods trading and stock theft.

Under the regulatory oversight of the Civilian Secretariat for the Police Service, notices have been gazetted calling for written submissions by 2 November 2026 on proposed amendments to the Second-Hand Goods Act, No. 6 of 2009 and legislation addressing stock theft offences.

The draft Second-Hand Goods Amendment Bill seeks to strengthen compliance, record-keeping, and accreditation standards for dealers, recyclers, and auctioneers to curb trade in stolen property and illicit metal recycling. Concurrently, the draft stock theft legislation aims to update statutory enforcement powers, livestock identification requirements, and penalties under the Stock Theft Act, No. 57 of 1959.

Key focus areas covered in the draft bills include:

• Enhanced registration, verification, and reporting obligations for commercial dealers and pawn shops;
• Stricter compliance regimes for scrap metal merchants, recyclers, and second-hand motor vehicle dealers;
• Updated transit documentation, movement permits, and ownership verification procedures for livestock and agricultural stock; and
• Refined inspectorate and enforcement powers conferred on the South African Police Service (SAPS).

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

• For yourself: Practitioners advising commercial or agricultural sectors must familiarise themselves with the updated enforcement mechanisms and identification obligations under the revised draft frameworks.
• For your business: Professional advisory firms with scrap metal, automotive, retail, or agricultural clients must review existing compliance workflows and prepare formal submissions ahead of the 2 November 2026 deadline.
• For your clients: Second-hand goods dealers and agricultural operators face tightened chain-of-custody documentation, identification checks, and licensing requirements, increasing operational compliance liability for non-compliant transactions.

Originally published at https://legalacademy.co.za/news/read/civilian-secretariat-for-the-police-service-stock-theft-2nd-hand-goods-bills-out-for-comment