Professional Update
A
monthly newsletter for KZN Attorneys from the Kwazulu-Natal Law Society

1 June 2009

This professional service draws attention to current and important items of news
 and members are directed to the hosts' websites

InfoUpdate 11 of 2009
Recent Judgments

Electronic copies of this information may be obtained from our librarians at help@lawlibrary.co.za or click on the underlined hyperlink where relevant

Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa - http://www.supremecourtofappeal.gov.za/index.html ; wwwserver.law.wits.ac.za/sca/index.php ; http://www.uovs.ac.za/apps/law/appeal/ ; http://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZASCA/

3 June 2009
204/08 [2009] ZASCA 79
Du Plessis v Prophitius and Another
Immovable property – transfer of ownership – validity of
Not yet online

1 June 2009
268/2008 [2009] ZASCA 75
Feldman v EMI Music
Co-author of work of joint authorship not entitled to sue for all damages resulting from infringement without joining other co-authors or making out a case for such entitlement

1 June 2009
231/08 [2009] ZASCA 78
Sewpersadh v Dookie
Sale of land – termination of agreement of sale – whether conduct of parties after valid cancellation thereof tantamount to a revival of the agreement

1 June 2009
695/2008 [2009] ZASCA 77
Minister of Trade and Industry and Klein NO
Appellant applying for condonation of late filing of record and heads of argument, and seeking order reinstating lapsed appeal – no acceptable explanation for delays – prospects of success on the merits remote – application dismissed

1 June 2009
138/08 [2009]   ZASCA 76
J P Kriel v The Legal Aid Board
Unlawful dismissal - application for review of dismissal under an employment contract correctly refused as dismissal not amounting to administrative action

1 June 2009
339/08 [2009] ZASCA 74
Bulkship Union SA v Qannas Shipping Co Ltd & Another
Shipping – Admiralty Jurisdiction Regulation Act 105 of 1983, s 3(7) - interpretation of phrase 'when the maritime claim arose'

1 June 2009
234/08 [2009] ZASCA 73
Gibbs v Minister of Justice
Principle of legality - Interpretation and application of statutory scheme - Public Service Act 111 of 1984 - Public Service Act 103 of 1994 - Magistrate's Act 90 of 1993 - Regulations - whether system of merit awards previously applicable to certain Magistrates, continue to have legal validity - no legal basis for awards which, in any event, militate against judicial independence and constitutional values

Excerpt :
"The question in this appeal is whether senior magistrates and magistrates (including the 24 appellants) are legally entitled to continue to be considered for and receive merit awards as part of their conditions of service"

1 June 2009
165/08 [2009] ZASCA 72
Director of Public Prosecutions, Kwazulu-Natal v Ngcobo and two others
Minimum sentence regime - principles to be applied - absence of substantial and compelling circumstances - imposition of minimum sentences justified

Lenient sentences overturned - 2 June
The Supreme Court of Appeals has set aside the effective 18 years' sentence imposed on three men convicted of murdering Pietermaritzburg man Andrew Scott Ferguson, sentencing them to life imprisonment instead. - IOL website

1 June 2009
343/08 [2009] ZASCA 71
Lombard v Landmark and Others
Construction guarantee and indemnities - construed independently of construction contract - undertaking to pay upon the happening of an event - obligation to honour undertaking

1 June 2009
214/2008 [2009] ZASCA 70
Spearhead Property Holdings Ltd v E & D Motors (Pty) Ltd
Lease – whether an option to purchase leased property is binding on a lessor's successor-in-title by virtue of the rule 'huur gaat voor koop' – whether lease agreement ought to be rectified

29 May 2009
218/08 [2009] ZASCA 69
Makhanya v University of Zululand
Employment – claim to enforce contract – alternative remedies available under Labour Relations Act 1995 – whether high court had jurisdiction to consider claim

High courts entitled to try labour cases - 1 June
The Supreme Court of Appeal last week ruled that the high court has the jurisdiction to hear labour matters together with the Labour Court, in a departure from a precedent set by the Constitutional Court. Appeal Judge Robert Nugent ruled on Friday that a 2007 Constitutional Court decision that the high court did not have jurisdiction in a certain matter was made as observations and thoughts, and was not binding. Friday's ruling came out of a case against the University of Zululand. Prof Edward Makhanya had instituted an action against the university, where he had been employed on contract, in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban. Makhanya said the university had purported to terminate the contract in breach of its terms. He had continued to render his services but the university had not paid him and he claimed orders compelling the institution to do so. In a special plea , the university challenged the jurisdiction of the high court to consider the claim. - allAfrica website

29 May 2009
296/2008 [2009] ZASCA 68
Joubert v Maranda Mining Company
Right of access to land in terms of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002 – unreasonable refusal by land owner and occupier to allow mining permit holder access to land – held that when permit holder has complied with all requirements in terms of the Act it has a right to enter the land to exercise its rights

29 May 2009
157/2008 [2009] ZASCA 67
Mthembu v Transnet trading as Metrorail
Application for special leave to appeal – no reasonable prospects of success in a further appeal

29 May 2009
324/08 [2009] ZASCA 66
Municipal Manageer : Quakeni v F V General Trading
Contract – municipal contract concluded in breach of prescribed processes relating to procurement of municipal services – no difference in procument processes required for basic municipal services - contract invalid – unnecessary for appellants in present proceedings to have sought a formal review of the award of the contract – declaration of invalidity issued

29 May 2009
446/2008 [2009] ZASCA 65
Mshengu v the State
Plea of guilty in terms of s 112 of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 – the requirements therefore restated

29 May 2009
213/08 [2009] ZASCA 64
Henriques v Giles NO
Wills – husband and wife each inadvertently signing will drafted for the other – husband first-dying – whether rectification of his will possible

29 May 2009
360/08 [2009] ZASCA 63
Commissioner for the South African Revenue Services and Others v Moresport (Pty) Ltd and Others
Customs and Excise - Failure to disclose a defence contained in a letter in an ex-parte application, not fatally defective

29 May 2009
372/2008 [2008] ZASCA 62
Du Plessis & Smith NNO v Goldco Motor & Cycle Supplies
Option to purchase immovable property deemed to have been exercised by purchaser where seller has deliberately frustrated exercise in prescribed mode

29 May 2009
686/2008 [2009] ZASCA 61
Nedbank Ltd v P U Injection Manufacturing
Claim for payment of money from a bank account in which financial rand had been held refused where applicant unable to prove any right to the money

29 May 2009
187/2008 60 [2009] ZASCA
Momentum Group Ltd v Van Staden NO & another
Cession in securitatem debiti – Payment by debtor to cedent – subsequent claim against debtor by cessionary – whether debtor had knowledge of the cession at time of payment to cedent

29 May 2009
331/08 [2009] ZASCA 59
Manong v Department of Roads and Transport, Eastern Cape  Province
Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 4 of 2000 – jurisdiction – High Court sitting as an equality court not a High Court - extent of jurisdiction of equality court to grant relief in respect of administrative action allegedly invalid on the grounds that it amounted to unfair discrimination

28 May 2009
278/08 [2009] ZASCA 58
Kimberley Junior School v The Head of the Northern Cape Education Department
Employment of Educators Act 76 of 1998 – appointment of principal of public school by first respondent in terms of s 6(3) of the Act – recommendation by school governing body found to be essential prerequisite for such appointment – held on the facts that such recommendation had never been made – appointment consequently set aside

28 May 2009
258/08 [2009] ZASCA 57
Mathenjwa v Magudu Game Company
Wild animals - ownership in – whether ownership  acquired and thereafter lost

28 May 2009
410/2008 [2009] ZASCA 56
Walker v Santam
Indemnity insurance – repudiation by insurers – sufficiency of proof of loss

27 May 2009
327/08 [2009] ZASCA 55
Minister of Safety and Security v Tyulu
Unlawful arrest and detention – s 40(1)(a) and (f) – Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 – whether the appellant had adduced sufficient evidence to justify the respondent's arrest and detention – The appropriate quantum of damages in respect of respondent's arrest and detention – Award reduced on appeal

27 May 2009
311/08 [2009] ZASCA 54
Erasmus Ferreira & Ackermann v Francis
Section 1(1) of the Assessment of Damages Act 9 of 1969 which, in an action for damages arising from a person's death, prohibits insurance money, pensions or benefits from being taken into account in calculating loss of support, does not apply to a dependant's action against attorneys who negligently caused the loss of support claim to become prescribed. Where, however, a dependant received a collateral benefit from an insurance company in respect of the prescribed claim it was held that it was fair that the attorneys, who had caused the loss of support claim to become prescribed, should not be entitled to deduct that benefit from their overall liability to the dependant

27 May 2009
300/08 [2009] ZASCA 53
St Paul Insurance Co SA Ltd v Eagle Ink System (Pty) Ltd
Continuation of a trial when the judge has died ; interpretation of 'contaminated' in a public liability insurance policy ; effect of exclusion in extension clause

26 May 2009
113/08 [2009] ZASCA 52
Mazibuko and Another v National Director of Public Prosecutions
Prevention of Organised Crime Act – forfeiture of immovable property – property owned by spouses married in community of property – whether interest of one spouse capable of being excluded

Rights of innocent parties married in COP under POCA - 26 May 2009
Article by S A Jazbhay on the KwaZulu-Natal Law Society website

26 May 2009
299/2008 [2009] ZASCA 51
Grobler v Oosthuizen
Cession of policy in compliance with terms of sale which proved to be null and void – policy paid out to heir of cessionary – claim by cedent against heir for proceeds of policy – plea of prescription by heir premised on postulate that cedent's claim for re-cession of rights under policy which arose more than three years prior to summons – cession construed as cession in securitatem debiti and not outright cession – held that re-cession consequently not required – held further that in the premises plea of prescription could not succeed

25 May 2009
369/08 [2009] ZASCA 50
Manong and Associates (Pty) Ltd v Eastern Cape Department of Roads and Transport and Others
Principle of legality - powers of Equality Court - consideration of provisions of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 4 of 2000 - Equality Court not a High Court - powers exercised in terms of the Act - restricted to dealing with specified complaints - procedures in terms of Equality Act not followed - matter remitted

25 May 2009
657/08 [2009] ZASCA 49
Clipsal Australia (Pty) Ltd and Others v Gap Distributors (Pty) Ltd and Others
Judgment staying judicial proceedings pending the determination of other judicial proceedings held to be appealable

22 May 2009
479/08 [2009] ZASCA 48
Van der Westhuizen v S
Condonation – failure to prosecute appeal in compliance with the rules – explanation for delay and prospects of success evaluated

22 May 2009
604/08 [2009] ZASCA 47
Mia v S
Fraud – sentence – no substantial and compelling circumstances present – minimum sentence on each count confirmed – striking disparity between effective sentence imposed and that which appellate court would have imposed – sentence reduced from 20 to 15 years’ effective imprisonment

21 May 2009
652/08 [2009] ZASCA 46
Johaar and Another v S
Vonnis – menseroof en veelvuldige aanklagte van roof met verswarende omstandighede – eerste appellant gevonnis tot effektiewe termyn van 30 jaar gevangenisstraf en tweede appellant tot 16 jaar gevangenisstraf – of kumulatiewe effek van die opgelegde vonnisse buitensporig is

13 May 2009
19/08 [2009] ZASCA 45
South Africa Post Office v De Lacy
Tender – claim for damages by unsuccessful tenderer – whether facts establish dishonesty

12 May 2009
137/2008 [2009] ZASCA 44
King v The Attorneys Fidelity Fund Board of Control
Attorneys Fidelity Fund – claims against Fund under s 26(a) of Attorneys Act 53 of 1979 – money paid into firm of attorneys' trust account and subsequently stolen – assumed money had been entrusted to practitioner in course of practice as such – money destined to be invested in factoring scheme operated by third party – claims excluded by s 47(1)(g) of Attorneys Act since, when money deposited in practitioner's trust account, instruction was to invest in factoring scheme on claimants' behalf

With regard to the Attorneys Fidelity Fund, according to section 26 (a) of the Attorneys Act 53 of 1979, "subject to the provisions of this Act, the Fund shall be applied for the purpose of reimbursing persons who may suffer pecuniary loss as a result of :

a) theft committed by a practising practitioner, his candidate attorney or his employee, of any money or other property entrusted by or on behalf of such persons to him or to his candidate attorney or employees in the course of his practice or while acting as executor or administrator in the estate or in any other similar capacity . . ."

In the matter of King & others v Attorneys Fidelity Fund Board of Control [2009] JOL 23562 (SCA), where judgment was handed down in the Supreme Court of Appeal this morning, the court dealt with claims against the Attorneys Fidelity Fund involving money that had been paid into the trust account of a firm attorneys which had been stolen.

In the judgment by Mpati J (Brand, Cachalia, Mhlantla JJA et Bosielo AJA concurring), the court also dealt with section 47(1)(g) of the Attorneys Act which played a crucial part in their decision.

 Source : LexisNexis

8 May 2009
126/08 [2009] ZASCA 43
Jacobs and Others v Baumann NO and Others
Whether summons issued in an action, launched by an executor of a deceased estate subsequently found to have been unlawfully appointed, a nullity – whether substitution of executor having effect of adding a new party to the action and prejudicing to the appellants

InfoUpdate : an Information Service supplied by the KwaZulu-Natal Law Society