Metric System Order, 1973

Jurisdiction: Eswatini
Citation: Kings Order in Council 30 of 1973
Date: 1 December 1998
Language: English
Type: Legislation
Download: Download PDF (174.7 KB)

eSwatini

Metric System Order, 1973

Kings Order in Council 30 of 1973

Assented to on 16 August 1973
Commenced on 24 August 1973
[This is the version of this document at 1 December 1998.]

A King’s Order-in-Council to provide for the metrication of Swaziland’s system of weights and measures.

1. Short title

This King’s Order-in-Council may be cited as the Metric System Order, 1973.

2. Interpretation

In this Order—“Minister” means the Minister for Commerce;“Principal Secretary” means the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce.

3. Restriction of use etc. of certain instruments, weights, measures and containers

(1)Notwithstanding any other law, the Minister may by notice in the Gazette restrict or prohibit the use or possession of weighing and measuring instruments, weights, measures and containers to such extent as he deems necessary for achieving the object of effecting the application of the metric system of weights and measures in Swaziland to the exclusion of any other system of weights and measures.

(2)Such restriction or prohibition, as the case may be, may apply—

(a)in the whole or any specified part of Swaziland;

(b)in respect of the use of the instrument, measure or container in question in connection with all goods or specified classes or kinds of goods;

(c)in respect of a specified class or kind of weighing or measuring instrument, weight, measure or container or such an instrument, weight, measure or container of a specified make, or in respect of such instrument, weight, measure or container possessed for use in trade or intended to be used in trade, or possessed or used for any other purpose.

4. Conversion of instruments

(1)The Minister may by notice in the Gazette specify any industry, trade or transaction in which all weighing and measuring instruments possessed or used by way of trade and indicating in units other than metric units shall be converted to indicate in metric units within such period and subject to such conditions as he may determine.

(2)Any weighing or measuring instrument which is to be converted in terms of subsection (1) shall be so converted by a person approved of by the Permanent Secretary as one who is permitted to repair or overhaul any such instrument.

5. Surrender and seizure of instrument

(1)After the expiry of any period fixed under section 4(1), the Permanent Secretary may by written notice require any person in the industry or trade or engaged in the transaction affected, who has in his possession for use by way of trade any weighing or measuring instrument which he has failed to convert as provided for in section 4, forthwith to surrender such instrument to a person appointed by the Permanent Secretary.

(2)In the event of the failure by any person to surrender such instrument, the person appointed by the Permanent Secretary under subsection (1) hereof may seize and, if necessary, may require any member of the Royal Swaziland Police Force to assist him in so doing.

(3)Any instrument surrendered or seized under this section, may, at the discretion of the Permanent Secretary, be destroyed or be detained until the Permanent Secretary is satisfied that suitable arrangements have been made for the conversion of such instrument to indicate in metric units.

(4)This section shall not apply to any weighing or measuring instrument—

(a)which is in the possession of a repairer who has been so appointed in terms of section 4(2) for the purpose of conversion to indicate in metric units; or

(b)which is possessed or being used for the purposes of any person, industry, trade or transaction for the time being exempted by an order under section 6.

6. Power to exempt

If the Minister is satisfied that suitable arrangements exist for ultimate compliance with the object of this Order he may exempt any person, industry, trade or transaction from the provisions of any restriction or prohibition imposed by him under section 3 for such period and subject to such conditions as he may determine.

7. Offences

Any person who contravenes this Order shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of two hundred emalangeni and the Court convicting such person may order that any instrument in respect of which the offence was committed shall be forfeited.

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History of this document

01 December 1998 this version

Consolidation

24 August 1973

Commenced

16 August 1973

Assented to