| (1) | The Director-General may authorise any assessor, any officer or employee referred to in section 1 of the Public Service Act, 1984 (Act No. 111 of 1984), or any medical practitioner to investigate any matter that he may deem necessary for the performance of his functions. |
| (2) | A person authorised under subsection (1) (in this section referred to as an "authorized person") shall be furnished with a certificate to that effect signed by the Director-General. |
| (3) | An authorised person may— |
| (a) | without previous notice, at all reasonable times enter any premises, and take an interpreter or other assistant or a police officer with him onto the premises; |
| (b) | while he is on the premises, or at any time thereafter, question any person who is or was on the premises, either alone or in the presence of any other person on any matter to which this Act relates; |
| (c) | order any person who has control over or custody of any book, document or thing on or in those premises to produce to him forthwith, or at such time and place as may be determined by him, such book, document or thing; |
| (d) | at any time and place order any person who has the possession or custody of or is in the control of a book, document or thing relating to the business of an employer or previous employer, to produce forthwith or at such time and place as may be determined by him, such book, document or thing; |
| (e) | seize any book, document or thing which in his opinion may serve as evidence in any matter in terms of this Act; |
| (f) | examine or cause to be examined any book document or thing produced to him or seized by him, and make extracts therefrom or copies thereof, and order any person who in his opinion is qualified thereto to explain any entry therein; |
| (g) | order an employee to appear before him at such time and place as may be determined by him, and question that employee. |
| (4) | An authorised person performing any function in terms of this section shall on demand produce the certificate referred to in subsection (2). |
| (a) | falsely holds himself out to be an authorised person; |
| (b) | refuses or fails to answer fully and satisfactorily any question put to him by an authorised person in the performance of his functions; |
| (c) | refuses or fails to comply with any lawful request of or order by an authorised person; |
| (d) | hinders or obstructs an authorised person in the performance of his functions, |
shall be guilty of an offence.
