On 27 September 2012 the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) held that the corporate leniency policy (CLP) of the Competition Commission (Commission) is a useful tool in the fight against anti-competitive behaviour.

The Competition Commission (Commission) brought an application to the Tribunal to confirm a settlement agreement entered into with Singapore Airlines.

On 20 July 2012 the Competition Tribunal (Tribunal) issued reasons for its unconditional approval of the large merger between Gas Corporation of South Africa (SOC) Limited (PetroSA), Pioneer Natural Resources South Africa (Proprietary) Limited (Pioneer SA) and Petroleum South Cape (Proprietary) Limited (PSC).

On 9 October 2012 the Competition Appeal Court (CAC) handed down its judgment in SACCAWU's appeal against the Competition Tribunal's conditional approval of the acquisition by Wal-Mart of a controlling interest in Massmart.

The Department of Trade and Industry has proposed new direct marketing requirements under the Consumer Protection Act.

The Protection of Personal Information Bill 2009 was approved by the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development today.

On 5 November 2012 the Competition Tribunal provided its reasons for approving, with conditions, the acquisition of ArcelorMittal South Africa's (AMSA) interests in the entities that constitute the Scaw Group (including Scaw South Africa and Consolidated Wire Industries).

On 12 September 2012 the Judge President of the Competition Appeal Court (CAC), Dennis Davis, while addressing Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Justice stated that there were too many levels of appeals in South Africa's judicial system.

On 24 January 2012, the Commission unconditionally approved the intermediate merger between Compass and Supercare.

On 31 January 2012, the Commission approved the acquisition by the IDC of Eerste Flambeau subject to certain conditions.

The Competition Tribunal has recently given reasons for its conditional approval of the acquisition of the title and interest to the accounts and receivables relating to the South African private label store card portfolio of Edcon.

On 24 July 2012 the Competition Tribunal (Tribunal) unconditionally approved the large merger involving Life Healthcare (Proprietary) Limited (Life Healthcare) and Joint Medical Holdings Limited (JMH), following the Competition Commission's (Commission) recommendation to the Tribunal that the merger be prohibited.

The Competition Tribunal (Tribunal) has called for executives of firms involved in cartel conduct to show greater courage to admit to and cease cartel conduct

On 20 September 2012 the Competition Tribunal conditionally approved the large merger involving Oceana Group Limited and V&A Cold Storage (Proprietary) Limited.

On 20 July 2012 the Competition Tribunal (Tribunal) issued its reasons for the conditional approval of the intermediate merger between Synergy Income Fund Limited (Synergy) and Khuthala Alliance (Proprietary) Limited (Khuthala).

Tribunal issues reasons for the unconditional approval of the Life Healthcare and Joint Medical Holdings merger.

On 25 May Webber Wentzel issued an update in respect of the targets indicated as years 6-10 in the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice coming into force.

On 22 October 2012 the Competition Commission (Commission) recommended that the Tribunal approve the acquisition of Xstrata Plc (Xstrata) by Glencore International Plc (Glencore), subject to employment-related conditions.

The application of competition law to the healthcare sector came under scrutiny at a conference held at Webber Wentzel on 24 August 2012. Competition Commission (Commission) staff, economists and healthcare sector stakeholders discussed the particular features of the healthcare market; enforcement action in relation to hospital mergers and collective bargaining; and the possibility of a market inquiry into the sector.

On 6 August 2012 the Health Professions Council of South Africa (the HPCSA) issued a media release providing a window period to allow for compliance with the Health Professions Act, No. 56 of 1974 (the Act) and applicable regulations, rules and policy guidelines.