I am really interested to find out what people think about the new law that has been passed that makes 18 year olds legal. Legally 18 year olds can now enter in to contracts amongst a host of other niceties.
Do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing? What could the pros and cons be? I think that it is great that talented young individuals can take advantage of their youth and start at a young age with their business ventures. However, I think there is a great chance that this law can be abused. Not all 18 year olds are savvy when it comes to business, they can be trapped in to contracts that they should not be able to be.
What are your thoughts?
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July 9th, 2007 at 8:17 am
I’m rather optimistic than otherwise ( I reckon, about most things in life); my son turned eighteen yesterday and just two weeks ago his prospects were still much much different than they are today.
If parents were going to take responsibility for the teenager till he/she was 21, why not simply take the same responsibility and just keep the reigns tight. The kid won’t be able to enter into any serious contract without guarantors and sponsors yet and apart from that, the new credit act will stand us in good stead here as well.
I say let’s go with it and let them enjoy the added time to the best of their ability!
July 9th, 2007 at 8:52 am
Wynand you make a good point. I think that there are SOME 18yr olds who deserve the utmost freedom at 18, while others need the reigns to be pulled in a bit tighter. There is nothing wrong with letting your 18yr old have some freedom with the new laws, but you can keep tabs on them while they learn how to be independant and self sufficient.
I agree to a point, lets go with it and see how we do. Hell in the states they can drive at 16 and I firmly believe kids in SA are much, much more responsible than the kids over there.
July 9th, 2007 at 9:08 am
I wanted to find out how the amendment was introduced in parliament so that i can understand the reason behind it. Here is a copy and paste.
“The Act also clarifies the grey area that currently exists in relation to the age of adulthood. The Constitution and international instruments pertaining to children define a child as a person under the age of 18 years, while the Age of Majority Act, 1972 stipulates the age of 21 as the age of majority. The Act now determines that a child becomes a major on reaching the age of 18 and the current disparity is therefore resolved.”
July 9th, 2007 at 9:11 am
That makes sense to me. So in a nutshell; in the past you were no longer a minor at 18, but were only a major at 21… What about the 3 years in between?
This does make more sense to me!
July 10th, 2007 at 9:18 am
qDot, thanx for that clarification – this in essence is the difference between guessing and knowing – thanx again. Wynand
July 20th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Nic – just a technical point: you were classified a minor until the age of 21. End of story. After the age of 18 there were certain things you could do on your own (driving, voting etc) but for the purposes of legal contracts, you were definitely still a minor. The definition of “child” is used in different contexts – like child support for example – and had nothing to do with majority. But I agree that this makes for a less confusing situation.
However… having lectured hundreds of people between the ages of 18 and 21, I have to say that I am not at all sure that 18-year-olds are always ready to think through the consequences of a contract. Sure – as another commenter says, the new Credit Act should help (of properly applied) to stop 18-year-olds getting into serious financial difficulty. But I also know that my students were stunned when I used to do the calculation to show them how that “24 easy monthly payments of R150!” translates into a whopping great amount more than the cash price. That’s what I mean by not always thinking it through (not that I think adults are immune from this either!!). Also, what about non-financial implications? Say a guy of 18 signs a model release and poses for some questionable nude pictures. Did he really think further than the fact that this was a good laugh (what isn’t, at 18!) and made him lots of cash quickly? Will it still be so funny when he is a company director one day and those pics are still in curculation somewhere?
Just my 10 cents worth!
January 27th, 2010 at 10:59 am
I’m 18 and I really want to take control of my own life, I bought a car and I’m learning to drive so I can get my licence. The only problem is I can’t do anything I want, my parents are very strict and always think the worst of me although if I’m a top student and never have done anything wrong. I want to move out, but don’t know all the laws considering that I’m 18. If there is anyone that can help me, please do. I have a place I can stay, sharing with a friend who is also very responsible.
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