Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on next sitting of the House I shall move, on behalf of the ANC:
That the Council-
(1) notes-
(a) with serious concern that the country loses over R2 billion of revenue annually to the counterfeit industry and that, according to Sars, the global counterfeit industry is valued at US$500 billion, which is equivalent to R3,4 trillion and has grown from 7% of the world trade in 2003 to 10% last year, 2005;
(b) with appreciation that Sars and the police have clamped down heavily on the importation of counterfeit goods which, unfortunately, results in the increase in production in the local counterfeit industry, and that the counterfeit goods are available on shelves of stores and in the streets across the country at a reduced price in the form of, inter alia, CDs, DVDs, cosmetics, washing powder, foodstuffs, etc;
(c) musicians and actors, under the leadership of the people's poet, Mzwakhe Mbuli, have responded by physically raiding the premises of those selling their counterfeit CDs, DVDs and cassettes and on Sunday alone counterfeit CDs, DVDs and cassettes worth R20 million were confiscated during a raid on a Johannesburg warehouse;
(d) that several brands' companies are approaching the courts to put a stop to this crime and that the police are in the process of restructuring and building capacity at police station level whilst also retaining the commercial crime unit to deal with organised syndicates;
(e) that first-time offenders, if found guilty, would receive a sentence of a R3 000 fine per item and/or three years in prison; and
(f) that an expert counterfeit lawyer, Marilyn Knige, from Adams and Adams law firm said: "I know of no instances where a counterfeiter has been imprisoned in this country.";
(2) resolves that counterfeiting and piracy are crimes that should be combated by all patriotic South Africans who are prepared to die with their boots on for the good of the nation;
(3) supports all measures taken by all those who are at the forefront of this battle as long as they promote the rule of law;
(4) calls upon-
(a) the law enforcement agencies to increase their capacity to deal with this crime and take the war to the enemy; and
(b) our courts to impose heavy sentences, including jail terms, so that criminals and potential criminals may know that crime does not pay.