National Monuments Amendment Act 35 of 1979

The National Monuments Amendment Act 35 of 1979 intends:

• to amend the National Monuments Actt 1969 [repealed in April 2000], relating to the definitions;
  • so as to define the object of the council in greater detail;
  • to extend from three to five years the period during which anything provisionally declared to be a national monument, shall for the purposes of the application of certain provisions of that Act be a monument;
  • to extend the powers, functions and duties of the council;
  • to provide for the registration of and the rendering of financial assistance to any authority or body of persons preserving national monuments, the delegation of powers by the Minister and the designation of a director and acting director of the council;
  • to empower the Minister to guarantee the repayment of the loans and interest on the loans of the council;
  • to compel the councilto utilize its funds in accordance with an estimate of expenditure approved by the Minister, acting with the concurrence of the Minister of Finance;
  • to provide for the declaration of certain wrecks as monuments;
  • to extend from three to six months the duration of notices of proposed or provisional declaration of monuments;
  • to compel certian persons to report the finding of certain objects;
  • to prohibit the damaging and removal of memorial tablets, the badge of the council and signs;
  • to increase the penalties for certain contraventions of that Act;
  • to increase the jurisdiction of magistrates' courts relating to penalties for such contraventions; and
  • to provide that local authorities shall obtain the approval of the Minister as well as that of the council for the making of by-laws in terms of. that Act;