On 1 January 2024, the Finance Act, 2023 (No.13 of 2023) (the “Finance Act”) came into operation implementing various measures including the introduction of a special capital gains tax (“special CGT”). The Finance Act amended the Capital Gains Tax Act [Chapter 23:01] (the “CGT Act”) and introduced section 30B (3) of the CGT Act reads [...]
What is a National Employment Council (NEC) A National Employment Council is a bipartite labour relations body with a specific mandate to deal with labour issues in a particular industry or sector comprising an employers’ association on one hand and employee representative (Trade Unions) on the other. NECs are created in terms of Sections 56 [...]
The Arusha Protocol on Plant Varieties “the Protocol” was adopted by a Diplomatic Conference of ARIPO at Arusha, Tanzania on 6 July 2015. Its Implementing Regulations were adopted by the ARIPO Administrative Council at Lilongwe Malawi on 22 November 2017. The purpose of the Protocol is to grant and protect plant breeders’ rights regionally. Plant [...]
“With effect from 1 January 2022, amendments to the ARIPO Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs came into force as highlighted in our article here. It has become apparent however, that the amendments under Rule 23(2)(d) are in conflict with Section 3(3) of the Harare Protocol as read with amended Rule 18(1)(a). The ARIPO Office [...]
KEY HIGHLIGHTS Seychelles is a new Contracting Party to the Harare Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs and may be designated in ARIPO applications with effect from 1 January 2022. The applicant in a patent application may, in response to an objection by a designated state, amend the application and/or submit written argument in a [...]
On 3 May 2021, the Government of the Republic of The Gambia deposited its instrument of accession to the Banjul Protocol on Marks (hereinafter “the Protocol”) with the Director General of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO). Parties to the Protocol are Botswana, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, Swaziland, Uganda, [...]
According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency’s (Zimstats) Quarterly Digest of Statistics for the first quarter of 2019, there were 7,738 reports of rape (including attempted rape) made in 2018. In January 2019 alone, there were 636 reports of rape with 625 reports of rape being made in February 2019. This translates to 21 women [...]
Some members from our team recently participated in a webinar hosted by the International Bar Association, regarding the regulation of the legal profession in Africa. Below is a summation of what was discussed: The topic for discussion centred on the issue of cross border legal services and the need to open up space and regulate. [...]
STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS Is the contract in compliance with law? The legal requirements for an employment contract are set out in Section 12 of the Labour Act [Chapter 28:01] You can download the Labour Act from the internet. Familiarise yourself with at least the first 18 sections, which will set out the basic provisions (such as [...]
The Companies and Other Business Entities Act [Chapter 24:31] (hereinafter “the New Act”) was gazetted on 15 November 2019. It came into force on the ninetieth day after its promulgation – that is on 13 February 2020 and repeals the Companies Act [Chapter 24:03] (hereinafter “the Old Act”) and the Private Business Corporations Act [Chapter [...]
