The long-awaited Second-Hand Goods Act will come into effect next month, broadening the scope for the prosecution of thieves and buyers of stolen goods.
Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa says any person who buys stolen goods is as guilty as the person who stole them in the first place, and harsher sentences will apply to both the buyer and the thief.
Mthethwa was speaking during a reply to a parliamentary question yesterday.
He says he has instructed police management to ensure that the Second-Hand Goods Act, which seeks to regulate second-hand goods dealers and recyclers, be used as an important tool in the effort to clamp down on the trade in stolen goods.
