47. If any foreign ship is detained in terms of this Act, or if any criminal proceedings are instituted in terms of this Act against the master or owner of any foreign ship, notice must forthwith be served by the Authority on the consular representative of the flag state at or nearest to the port where the ship is for the time being, and such notice must state the grounds on which the ship has been detained or the proceedings have been taken. 5 10 Forfeiture 48. (1) In this section, ‘‘officer’’ means— (a) an officer of the Authority appointed in writing to be an officer for the purposes 15 of this section; (b) a member of the South African Police Service; or (c) a member of the South African National Defence Force. (2) Where a ship is subject to forfeiture in terms of this Act, an officer may seize and detain the ship and the Minister may apply to a court for an order contemplated in subsection (3). (3) On application being made in terms of subsection (2), the court may order a ship and its equipment to be forfeited to the State. (4) Anything forfeited in terms of this section becomes the property of the State and may be sold or otherwise dealt with as the Minister deems fit. Detention of ships 49. (1) Where it is provided by this Act that a ship may be detained, the ship may be detained by an officer referred to in section 48(1). (2) Where a ship detained in terms of this Act goes to sea before it is released from detention by a competent authority, the master and any owner of that ship who orders or permits such action are each guilty of an offence. (3) A customs officer may not grant a clearance in respect of a ship that is detained in terms of this Act. Co-operation with officials 50. (1) If an officer is taken to sea in a ship without his or her consent, the master, and any owner of the relevant ship who orders or permits such action, are each guilty of an offence and, in addition to any penalty for that offence, are jointly and severally liable to pay all expenses incidental to the officer’s return. (2) The master and each member of the crew of any ship must— (a) immediately comply with any lawful instruction given or request made by an officer and must facilitate safe boarding and inspection of the ship; and (b) must take all measures to ensure the safety of an officer in the performance of his or her duties. False statements 51. (1) A person who, by means of a statement that he or she knows to be false or misleading or by means of a document that to his or her knowledge contains information that is false or misleading, causes or attempts to cause an officer to do or refrain from doing any act or thing in the exercise of powers or the performance of duties in terms of this Act, is guilty of an offence. 20 25 30 35 40 45 42 (2) No person may— (a) make a statement to an officer, whether orally or in writing; or (b) present a statement in writing to an officer, knowing it to be false or misleading in a material aspect. (3) For the purposes of the application of this section in respect of a body corporate, 5 but without prejudice to the liability of any person other than the body corporate— (a) a statement made or presented or otherwise used by a person acting on behalf of a body corporate is deemed to have been made, presented or otherwise used by the body corporate; and the knowledge of any person employed by or concerned in the management of a body corporate is deemed to be knowledge of the body corporate. (b) Offences and penalties 52. (1) Any person who fails to comply with or contravenes section 4(2) or (3), 20(3), 21(1), 24(2) or (3), 25(6), 26(5), 27(5), 38, 42(10), 50(2) or 51(2) or item 4(1), 12(2), 13(1) or 14(2) of Schedule 1 is guilty of an offence. (2) Except where this Act provides otherwise, a person who has been convicted of an offence in terms of this Act, is liable to a fine or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years. (3) Any person who fails to comply with or contravenes section 20(2), 41 or 42(1) or item 8(1) or (2) of Schedule 1 is, in respect of each day on which that person contravenes that section or item, guilty of an offence, including the day of a conviction for an offence in terms of this subsection or any subsequent day, and liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months. (4) A person who has been convicted of a contravention of section 5(1) or (3), 24, 30 or 51(1) or (2) is liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years. (5) Where a body corporate is guilty of an offence in terms of this Act, a director, manager, secretary or other officer of the body corporate who is in any way, by act or omission, directly or indirectly, knowingly concerned in or a party to the offence, is also guilty of that offence and is punishable accordingly. Administrative penalty on admission of guilt 53. (1) If a person— (a) admits to the Authority that he or she has contravened or failed to comply with any provision of this Act, which contravention or failure constitutes an offence; (b) agrees to abide by the decision of the Authority; and (c) deposits with the Authority the sum determined by it, but not exceeding the maximum fine that may be imposed on a conviction for the contravention or failure in question, the Authority may, after any enquiry that it may deem fit, determine the matter summarily and may, without legal proceedings, order the whole or any part of the said deposit to be forfeited to the State by way of a penalty. (2) When a penalty exceeding R2 000 is imposed, there is a right of appeal to the Minister from a determination or order by the Authority in terms of subsection (1), provided that such right must be exercised within a period of three months from the date of the determination or order. (3) The imposition of a penalty in terms of subsection (1) is deemed not to be a conviction of an offence, but no prosecution in respect of the offence in question may thereafter be instituted. Admissibility of documentary evidence 54. (1) A document that is admissible in evidence in terms of this Act is on mere production thereof admissible in evidence in any proceedings as prima facie evidence of any matter stated in the document in pursuance of this Act or in pursuance of any duty 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 44 in terms of this Act, and of the fact that it was signed by the person by whom it purports to be signed. (2) The Registrar may, subject to this Act, supply copies of or extracts from any entry in the Register or any document forming part of or associated with the Register, and certify them in writing, signed by him or her. (3) The person to whose custody a document referred to in subsection (1), other than a copy or extract referred to in subsection (2), is entrusted, must against payment of the relevant charge, supply a copy of or extract from the document, certified in writing and signed by him or her, to any person applying for such a copy or extract. 5 (4) A document purporting to be a copy or extract supplied in terms of subsection (2) 10 or (3) is admissible in evidence. Jurisdiction 55. (1) Any offence in terms of this Act is, for purposes in relation to the jurisdiction of a court to try the offence, deemed to have been committed within the area of jurisdiction of the court in which the prosecution is instituted. (2) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any other Act, a magistrate’s court 15 has jurisdiction to impose any penalty prescribed by this Act. Regulations 56. (1) The Minister may make regulations regarding— (a) any matter required or permitted to be prescribed in terms of this Act; and (b) generally all matters that are reasonably necessary or expedient to be 20 prescribed in order to achieve the objects of this Act. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the Minister may make regulations regarding— (f) (c) (a) (b) (d) (e) the persons by whom, the manner in which and the period within which applications in connection with registration and the issue of any certificate or pass are to be made; the information and evidence to be provided in connection with the applications contemplated in paragraph (a) and any supplementary informa- tion and evidence that may be required by any specified authority; the restriction and regulation of the names of ships registered or to be registered; the marking of ships registered or to be registered; the survey and inspection of ships registered or to be registered and the recording of their tonnage as ascertained or re-ascertained in terms of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1951; the period for which the registration of a ship is to remain effective without renewal; (g) the refusal, suspension and closure of registration in specified circumstances; (h) matters arising out of the expiration, suspension and closure of registration, including the removal of marks and the surrender and cancellation of certificates; the registration of ships on bareboat charter to South African nationals; the registration of registered ships on bareboat charter to persons other than South African nationals or South African residents; the re-registration of ships entitled to be registered, which have been abandoned or whose registration in terms of this Act, or in terms of any law repealed by this Act, has been closed; the keeping of the Register and copies of the Register, or a part or parts of the Register; (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) the entries to be made in the Register; (n) the manner in which and the period within which documents and information are to be lodged, including provisions empowering the Registrar— (i) to direct a person who has lodged, or is seeking to lodge, any document 25 30 35 40 45 50 46 or information to do anything that is necessary to ensure that it is in accordance with the requirements of this Act; or to treat any document or information as not having been lodged until it is in accordance with the requirements of this Act; (ii) the registration, whether by way of entry in the Register or otherwise, of documents and information; the verification of information and documents required for the purposes of this Act; the qualifications required of, and other requirements relating to, registered agents; the retention or return by the Registrar of documents lodged in accordance with this Act; the selection and change of home ports for registered ships; the matters to be recorded or endorsed on registration certificates, provisional registration certificates and temporary passes; the making of any declaration or the doing of anything required or permitted by this Act to be made or done in the name and on behalf of a person incapable of making such a declaration or doing any such thing by reason of minority, mental disorder or defect, or other cause; the manner in which instruments, notices and other documents in terms of this Act may be given to, or served on, persons; the payment of fees and expenses to persons required in terms of this Act to attend and give evidence or make declarations before the Registrar or other persons; the conduct of any matter relating to the Registration Office; the declaration of specified documents, or of documents included in specified classes of documents, to be admissible in evidence for the purposes of section 54; the form of any instrument, notice or other document permitted or required to be issued, furnished, lodged or registered for the purposes of this Act. (o) (p) (q) (r) (s) (t) (u) (v) (w) (x) (y) (z) (3) The regulations may— (a) make different provision for different classes or descriptions of ships and for different circumstances; (b) without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (a), make provision for the granting of exemptions or dispensations by the Authority from specified requirements of the regulations, subject to any condition that it may deem fit to impose; (c) make provision for the registration of any class or description of ships to be such as to exclude the application of Schedule 1 and may regulate the transfer, transmission or mortgaging of ships of the class or description so excluded; (d) prohibit the registration of any class or description of ships; (e) make the incidental or supplementary provisions that appear to the Minister to be necessary or expedient, including provisions authorising investigations and conferring powers of inspection. (4) A regulation made under this Act may provide that a person who contravenes or fails to comply with a provision thereof, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years. Charges