Regulation of Gatherings Act, 1993 (Act No. 205 of 1993)Chapter 12. Appointment of conveners, authorized members and responsible officers |
| (1) |
| (a) | An organization or any branch of an organization intending to hold a gathering shall appoint— |
| (i) | a person to be responsible for the arrangements for that gathering and to be present thereat, to give notice in terms of section 3 and to act on its behalf at any consultations or negotiations contemplated in section 4, or in connection with any other procedure contemplated in this Act at which his presence is required; and |
| (ii) | a deputy to a person appointed in terms of subparagraph (i). |
| (b) | Such organization or branch, as the case may be, shall forthwith notify the responsible officer concerned of the names and addresses of the persons so appointed and the responsible officer shall notify the authorized member concerned accordingly. |
| (c) | If a person appointed in terms of paragraph (a) is or becomes unable to perform or to continue to perform his functions in terms of this Act, the organization or branch, as the case may be, shall forthwith appoint another person in his stead, and a person so appointed shall be deemed to have been appointed in terms of paragraph (a): Provided that after the appointment of a person in terms of this paragraph, no further such appointment shall be made, except with the approval of the responsible officer concerned. |
| (2) |
| (a) | The Commissioner or a person authorized thereto by him shall authorize a suitably qualified and experienced member of the Police, either in general or in a particular case, to represent the Police at consultations or negotiations contemplated in section 4 and to perform such other functions as are conferred or imposed upon an authorized member by this Act, and shall notify all local authorities or any local authority concerned of every such authorization, and of the name, rank and address of any authorized member concerned. |
| (b) | If an authorized member is or becomes unable to perform or to continue to perform his functions in terms of this Act, the Commissioner or a person authorized thereto by him shall forthwith designate another member of the Police to act in his stead, either in general or in a particular case, and the member so designated shall be deemed to have been authorized in terms of paragraph (a) for the purposes contemplated in the said paragraph: Provided that after the designation of a member of the Police in terms of this paragraph, no further such designation shall be made, except with the approval of the responsible officer concerned. |
| (3) | If any consultations, negotiations or proceedings in terms of this Act at which the presence of a convener or an authorized member is required, are to take place and such convener or member is not available, such consultations or negotiations or other proceedings may be conducted in the absence of such convener or member, and the organization or Police, as the case may be, shall be bound by the result of such consultations, negotiations or proceedings as if it or they had agreed thereto. |
| (4) |
| (a) | A local authority within whose area of jurisdiction a gathering is to take place or the management or executive committee of such local authority shall appoint a suitable person, and a deputy to such person, to perform the functions,exercise the powers and discharge the duties of a responsible officer in terms of this Act. |
| (b) | If, for any reason, a local authority has not made an appointment in terms of paragraph (a) when a convener is required to give notice in terms of section 3(2) or when a member of the Police is required to submit information in terms of section 3(5) (a), such notice shall be given or such information shall be submitted to the chief executive officer or, in his absence, his immediate junior, who shall thereupon be deemed to be the responsible officer in regard to the gathering in question for all the purposes of this Act. |