Draft South African law could jail natural scientists who fail to register
A proposed bill would require natural scientists in South Africa to register with SACNASP, with non-compliance punishable by up to a year in prison.
A new draft law aims to make registration with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) compulsory for practising natural scientists, imposing a possible prison sentence of one year for non-compliance. The measure seeks to align scientists with existing regulatory regimes for engineers and health workers, citing public and environmental protection as its purpose. Critics, including physicist Nithaya Chetty and plant scientist Lise Korsten, claim the proposal was unknown to most researchers and could grant the SACNASP board extensive authority while containing ambiguous definitions.
The bill, which repeals the 2003 SACNASP act, defines practising as providing services or advice, but exempts university teachers and policy developers, leaving uncertainty for consulting academics. Registration costs 1,920 rand per year plus a one-off fee of 2,560 rand for South Africans, a significant amount compared to the national minimum wage. Public comment closed in May, and the draft will be presented to parliament, though a debate date has not been announced.
Why it matters
The law could criminalize many scientists for not registering, affecting research freedom and professional costs in South Africa.
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