Case Law[2024] ZAGPPHC 749South Africa
Road Accident Fund v Ruele and Others (19982/2016) [2024] ZAGPPHC 749 (26 July 2024)
High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria)
26 July 2024
Headnotes
the second stay order was an interim order, not final in effect and therefore not appealable. The Court held in paragraph 7 of the judgment on leave to appeal that “appealability is central to the current application. I will deal with this issue primarily, as the order I granted is, as is explained below, not appealable”. The Court’s entire basis for refusing the leave to appeal is that the second stay
Judgment
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# South Africa: North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria
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## Road Accident Fund v Ruele and Others (19982/2016) [2024] ZAGPPHC 749 (26 July 2024)
Road Accident Fund v Ruele and Others (19982/2016) [2024] ZAGPPHC 749 (26 July 2024)
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sino date 26 July 2024
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
IN THE HIGH COURT OF
SOUTH AFRICA
GAUTENG DIVISION,
PRETORIA
CASE NO: 19982/2016
(1)
REPORTABLE: NO
(2)
OF INTEREST TO OTHER JUDGES: NO
(3)
REVISED: NO
Date:
26 July 2024
In the matter between:
ROAD
ACCIDENT FUND
Applicant
and
RUELE,
LISBETH
First Respondent
THE
SHERIFF PRETORIA EAST
Second Respondent
MALEPE
ATTORNEYS
Third Respondent
THE
ACTING SHERIFF JOHANNESBURG NORTH
Fourth Respondent
JUDGMENT
DE
VOS AJ
[1]
The RAF seeks urgently to halt the sale in execution of its property.
The relief
is sought in terms of Rule 45A of the Uniform Rules of
Court. This is the third time the RAF has had to approach the Court
for
the same relief. The RAF was successful on both previous
occasions. On both previous occasions, the Court interdicted the
first respondent, Ms Ruele, from further attempts at execution,
pending a rescission application attacking the underlying default
order. The rescission application has not been finalised.
Despite two previous stay orders and interdicts, Ms Ruele’s
representatives have again instructed the Sheriff to attach the RAF’s
property. This has necessitated the RAF’s
urgent approach
to this Court.
[2]
The Court was satisfied that the RAF had made out a claim in terms of
Rule 45A
and granted an order, with reasons to follow, on 9 July
2024. The order granted was:
a)
This
application is enrolled as an urgent application in terms of
rule 6(12) of the Uniform Rules of Court.
b)
The counterclaim instituted on behalf of
the first respondent is struck for want of urgency.
c)
The points
in
limine
raised by the First Respondent
are dismissed.
d)
It is declared order the order of this
Court, handed down by Acting Judge Labuschagne on 21 July 2023, is an
interlocutory order
not having the effect of a final judgment, as per
the provisions of
Section 18(2)
of the
Superior Courts Act, 10 of
2013
.
e)
The order by Labuschagne AJ, has not been
suspended by any application for leave to appeal, any appeal which
may follow or any direct
access application to the Constitutional
Court.
f)
The execution of the order of this Court
dated 15 February 2021, as interdicted by Labuschagne AJ, remains
interdicted until such
time as the rescission application has been
finalised including appeals.
g)
The Second and Fourth Respondents are
interdicted from executing against the Applicant's movable assets
including its bank account.
h)
The First Respondent's legal
representatives are interdicted from instructing any sheriff of the
court to execute on the order of
21 February 2021, pending
finalisation of the rescission application appeal process.
i)
In the event that the First Respondent's
legal representatives instruct any sheriff of the court, countrywide,
to execute the order
of 21 February 2021 against the Applicant's
assets, the Applicant may approach this court on the same papers,
duly supplemented,
for an order for contempt of court.
j)
The determination of costs is reserved and
will be determined when the reasons of the Court for this order is
provided.
[3]
The Court reserved the issue of costs to be determined with these
reasons.
The RAF sought punitive costs
de bonis propriis
against Ms Ruele’s legal representative, Mr S Malatji. The
Court did not want to consider the issue of costs in the climate
of
urgent court, but rather wanted to do so after having re-read the
papers and with careful thought. In what follows the
Court
provides reasons for the order referred to above as well as its
determination of the issue of costs.
Facts
[4]
The parties are involved in protracted litigation. Ms Ruele was
injured in a
motor vehicle accident. She claimed damages from the RAF
and the RAF failed to appear at the hearing of the matter. This
Court,
on 15 February 2021, ordered the RAF to pay Ms Ruele an amount
of R 5 368 308.00, by default.
[5]
The RAF, with the order in hand, conducted calculations and concluded
that Ms
Ruele had overstated her loss of earnings. On the RAF’s
calculations a fair and reasonable compensation is half of what was
ordered, being an amount of R 2 156 050. The RAF paid
this amount, plus R 500 000 for general damages, to
Ms Ruele and
commenced rescission proceedings.
[6]
However, the rescission proceedings were interrupted as Ms Ruele’s
previous
representatives (the third respondents) issued a warrant for
execution. The RAF launched a
Rule 45A
application to stay the
execution of the warrant. On 6 October 2021 Davis J, granted
the RAF a stay of the execution. Specifically,
Davis J ordered that
the execution of the default order is suspended, pending the
finalisation of the rescission application. The
terms are clear,
until the rescission application is finalised, Ms Ruele cannot
execute on the default order. This is the
first stay order.
[7]
The parties agreed to re-try the matter rather than to finalise the
rescission
application. The RAF requested a
Rule 42
abandonment of
the judgment and based on this agreement, the RAF did not proceed
with the rescission application. Consequently,
there was peace
between the parties from November 2021 to June 2023. Ms Ruele’s
attorneys, during this period, failed to
set down the re-trial.
[8]
In June 2023, Ms Ruele’s attorneys, in conflict with the
agreement, again
instructed the Sheriff to execute on the default
order. The sale in execution was scheduled for 25 July 2023. This
necessitated
the RAF having to approach the Court again, for a second
time, to stay the execution of the default order. At this stage Ms
Ruele’s
current representative, Mr S Malatji (to be
distinguished from the RAF’s attorneys Malatji Inc), had taken
over the matter.
[9]
On 21 July 2023 this Court per Labuschagne AJ granted an order
staying the executing,
pending the finalisation of the rescission
application. The terms of this order is central. The Court
ordered that the –
“
operation and
execution of the order dated 15 February 2021 and all writs of
execution issued pursuant thereto are suspended pending
finalisation
of the application brought by the applicant to rescind the court
order dated 15 February 2021”.
[10]
This is the second stay order.
[11]
Ms Ruele sought leave to appeal against the second stay order. Leave
was refused with costs. In the
judgment refusing leave to appeal,
Labuschagne AJ specifically held that the second stay order was an
interim order, not final
in effect and therefore not appealable. The
Court held in paragraph 7 of the judgment on leave to appeal that
“appealability
is central to the current application. I will
deal with this issue primarily, as the order I granted is, as is
explained below,
not appealable”. The Court’s
entire basis for refusing the leave to appeal is that the second stay
order was
interim in nature and therefore not appealable.
[12]
Ms Ruele sought special leave to appeal against the second stay order
from the Supreme Court of Appeal.
The Supreme Court of Appeal,
similarly, refused leave to appeal against the second stay order, and
again with costs.
Interim
nature of the two orders staying the execution of the default order
[13]
At present, the order of Davis J and Labuschagne AJ which interdict
the execution of the default order,
stand. The clear language
of both these orders are that they are to apply on an interim basis.
[14]
If there was any doubt, in the application for leave to appeal,
Labuschagne AJ set out the basis on
which the relief granted was
interim in nature. The Court considered the test as set out in
Zweni v Minister of Law and Order
and its endorsement by the
Constitutional Court in
UDM v Lebashe Investment Group
CCT39/21
[2022] ZACC 34.
The reasoning of the Court on the
appealability of the second stay order is central to the present
dispute.
[15]
I quote from the judgment on leave to appeal –
“
[11] The
suspension order that I granted in terms of Rule 45A was aimed at
providing breathing space to the RAF while the application
for
rescission runs its course. If the rescission application fails, the
suspension would fall away. If the rescission application
is
successful, then the suspension would have prevented execution
pending the retrial , ie it would, in the interim , be an injustice.
As the only practical effect of the suspension of the order is to
suspend execution, which execution may proceed if the rescission
fails or the trial delivers the same result, the order has interim
effect only.
[12] As
the suspension order does not finally decide the rights of parties,
or even part of the issues, the order granted
is interlocutory and
not final in effect. It is the type of decision, even if leave to
appeal were competent, where its interim
operation would not be
suspended in terms of
section
18(2)
of the
Superior Courts
Act, 10 of 2013
.
[13] The
suspension order granted has none of the qualities which would render
it a judgment or order that is appealable in
terms of the test
in Zweni.
[14] Even
applying the test in the UDM matter as set out in par [42]
thereof, the suspension order that I have
granted does not have final
effect. Further, it does not dispose of any issue or portion of
the issues in the rescission
application or, if the rescission were
to succeed, the retrial of the main action. The suspension order does
not irreparably anticipate
or preclude some of the relief which might
be given at the hearing. The prompt resolution of the rights of the
parties in this
instance would be to bring the rescission application
to finality. An appeal would not lead to a “
just and
reasonably prompt resolution of the real issues between the parties"
.
An appeal in this instance would merely decide whether the court
order would be suspended or not. The issues remain, in my assessment,
truly interlocutory, without being final in effect.
[15] As
none of the tests for appealability are met, the order that I granted
is not a decision that is appealable in the context
of
section
17
of the
Superior Courts Act.”
[16
]
This Court has expressly and clearly indicated that the second stay
order is not appealable, as it is
interim in nature.
[17]
In addition, the finding of Labuschagne AJ that the second stay order
is interim in effect bears the
stamp of approval of the Supreme Court
of Appeal, which dismissed Ms Ruele’s application for leave to
appeal against it with
costs.
[18]
Ms Ruele has, through her current representatives filed an
application for leave to appeal against
the second stay order in the
Constitutional Court (case number CCT 328-2023). In addition, in
January 2024 the RAF’s rescission
application was dismissed, as
well as its application for leave to appeal. The RAF indicated
it would file an application
for special leave to the Supreme Court
of Appeal before 5 July 2024 – in line with the time periods of
the Supreme Court
of Appeal.
[19]
After the rescission application was dismissed, Mr S Malatji
instructed the Sheriff to execute on the
default order. Mr S
Malatji’s position is that the application for leave to appeal
to the Constitutional Court suspends the
operation of the two stay
orders. It is in response to this latest attempt by Mr S
Malatji to execute on the default order,
that the RAF has had to
launch its third application to stay the execution of the default
order.
Rule
45A
[20]
The RAF relies on Rule 45A of the Uniform Rules of Court. The
Court has a broad discretion in
this regard and is empowered to grant
a stay where real and substantial justice requires such a stay. The
Court notes that Rule
45A’s purpose is to stay
proceedings pending an attack on the underlying causa. The rescission
application is such
an attack and it has not been finalised.
[21]
This Court has twice before held that the RAF will suffer real and
substantial injustice and stayed
the execution. This position
is unaltered.
[22]
The Court notes that Ms Ruele is not without relief, as the RAF has
paid out R 3 million. Ms Ruele
has not pleaded any facts which shows
a prejudice to her if the stay is granted.
[23]
The RAF has however indicated that it will suffer serious prejudice.
The RAF contends that its assets
to be sold in execution, will not
meet the judgment debt. The true aim of Mr S Malatji’s
instruction to the Sheriff
is to bend the RAF to concede the payment.
This, the RAF submits, renders the ability to obtain any substantial
relief if it is
successful on review, unlikely. Its prejudice, cannot
be remedied later down the line.
[24]
In these circumstances, this Court, echoing the findings of Davis J
and Labuschagne AJ, finds that
it is in the interest of justice to
stay the execution of the default order.
[25]
The RAF has however sought further relief from the Court, being a
declarator that the second stay order
is interim in nature.
Declaratory
relief
[26]
The RAF explains its motivation for seeking this relief. It
pleads that to obtain an order of
contempt of court against Ms Ruele
for continuing to execute despite the Labuschagne AJ order will not
be useful to the RAF.
The RAF contends that Ms Ruele is most
probably “in the dark about the strategy followed by her
representatives”.
The RAF pleads that “it is not
conceivable that Ms Ruelle would instruct her representatives to
ignore a court order. Ms
Ruele is dependent on the advice of her
legal representatives, who, are the authors of this vexatious
strategy”.
[27]
The RAF is therefore “limited in its options to enforce the
order by Labuschagne AJ”.
Therefore the RAF seeks relief
that confirms that the Labuschagne AJ order will remain in force
until the proceedings have been
finalised, which includes the RAF’s
right to appeal. This contends the RAF will be a “clear
order that
will provide the sheriffs with the necessary guidance to
withstand the onslaught of Ms Ruele’s legal representatives”.
[28]
The Court notes that the reasons of Labuschagne AJ on the interim
nature of the order is clear. In
fact, the text of the order itself
indicates that Ms Ruele is interdicted from executing until the
rescission application has been
finalised. The purpose of the order
is clear: to allow the RAF to exhaust its remedies regarding the
default order before the execution
takes place. The purpose of
the order is undermined if Ms Ruele can execute the order in the
interim.
[29]
Lastly, the Court notes the purpose of
section 18(2)
of the
Superior
Courts Act. Section
18(2) provides that unless the court under
exceptional circumstances orders otherwise, the operation and
execution of a decision
that is an interlocutory order not having the
effect of a final judgment, which is the subject of an application
for leave to appeal
or of an appeal, is not suspended pending the
decision of the application or appeal. The import of the
section is clear and
finds application in this matter.
[30]
The need for a declarator arises in the specific context of this
case. Absent such relief, the RAF
is locked in a constant struggle to
bring urgent stay applications. The Court is empowered, amongst
others, by section 172
of the Constitution to grant appropriate
relief. Such relief, in these circumstances requires clarity and
certainty and prevent
a fourth repeat of the present proceedings.
Costs
[31]
The RAF has
requested the Court to grant costs
de
bonis propriis
against Mr S Malatji. The RAF presents the Court with case law in
support of its request for costs
de
bonis propriis
.
Specifically, it relies on
SA
Liquours Traders Association v Chairperson, Gauteng Liquor Board
[1]
where it was held that an order for costs
de
bonis propriis
is made against attorneys where a court is satisfied that there has
been negligence in a serious degree which warrants an order
of costs
being made as a mark of the court’s displeasure. The RAF
submits that an officer of court and owes a court an appropriate
level of professionalism and courtesy.
[32]
The Court notes that it is only in exceptional circumstances that
such an order should be granted.
It also weighs with the court that
Mr S Malatji appeared before Court as counsel, presumably with a
trust account. Costs de
bonis propriis
is not an order that
should be lightly granted and one which the Court did not want to
consider in the climate of urgent court and
its inherent pressures.
It not only deprives the representative of their fees, but also
requires the representative to foot the
opponent’s bill.
It has, and must, weigh heavily on a Court, before it is granted.
[33]
The
Court considers the RAF’s request for these costs with care.
it is trite that costs
de
bonis propriis
should
only be ordered in exceptional circumstances.
[2]
There must have been conduct which is egregious on the part of the
particular attorney or counsel to attract such an order of costs.
The
assessment of the gravity of the conduct is objective and lies at the
discretion of the court.
[3]
[34]
The
Constitutional Court in
SA
Liquor Traders’ Association and Others v Chairperson, Gauteng
Liquor Board and Others
,
[4]
held that an order for costs de
bonis
propriis
is
made against attorneys where a court is satisfied that there has been
negligence in a serious degree which warrants
an order of costs being
made as a mark of the court’s displeasure. The RAF relies on
specific acts to ground
the
request for costs
de
bonis propriis
.
[35]
First, the RAF submits that Mr S Malatji’s has repeatedly
attempted to execute on the default
order, in clear breach of the
orders of Davis J and Labuschagne AJ. The RAF submits that Mr S
Malatji’s intentional disregard
for the order of Labuschagne AJ
and refusing to stop when informed that the RAF intends applying to
the SCA, amounts to reason
to grant a cost order on a
de bonis
propriis
scale.
[36]
Second, Mr S Malatji is abusing the court process. The RAF
refers to correspondence it received
from Mr S Malatji after argument
before Labuschagne AJ but before judgment was handed down. Mr S
Malatji wrote that the sale in
execution will take place on 25 July
2023, regardless of whether or not the Court granted the order.
Mr S Malatji further
stated that he will “just take appeal
steps and execute”. Later the same day, after judgment was
handed down, Malatji
S wrote that the judgment of Labuschagne AJ will
be appealed and the Sheriff will continue with the sale on 25 July
2023”.
Mr S Malatji has indicated, expressly, that he will,
regardless of what the court orders seek to execute on the default
order.
Mr S Malatji has been true to his word in this regard.
[37]
The RAF contends that from this it is clear that Mr S Malatji had no
intention of advising his client
to abide by the order if it was to
be in favour of the RAF. Mr S Malatji was going to instruct the
Sheriff to proceed with
the execution despite any order to stay the
execution, and he would do so under the guise of filing the one after
the other appeals
– which is indeed what he has done. The
RAF pleads that Mr S Malatji “simply ignores the order
interdicting the
execution and relentlessly instructs” the
Sheriffs to execute.
[38]
Third, the RAF contends that a contempt of court order against Ms
Ruele or a further costs order against
her would not be appropriate.
As set out above, the RAF contends that Ms Ruele is acting on the
advice of her legal representative.
The Court notes that
Labuschagne AJ granted costs against Ms Ruele and her representatives
in the Rule 45A application. Similarly,
costs were granted against Ms
Ruele by Labuschagne AJ in the application for leave to appeal.
The Supreme Court of Appeal
has also dismissed Ms Ruele’s
appeal with costs. The granting of costs have not deterred Ms
Ruele’s representatives.
[39]
Fourth, the RAF also points to the manner in which Mr S Malatji has
engaged with the Sheriff in this
matter. The Court has been
provided with email after email to various different Sheriffs seeking
to execute on the order.
If a Sheriff in one area fails to execute,
Mr S Malatji instructs the Sheriff of another area to execute.
The RAF points
to Mr S Malatji’s attempts to convince, and
pressure, one after the other Sheriff, to execute on the default
order.
[40]
Fifth, the RAF refers the Court to its clear and repeated engagements
with Mr S Malatj The RAF’s
attorneys repeated attempts to
engage Mr S Malatji is provided to the Court. The communication is
clear, consistent and repeated.
An example of this is an email
from the RAF’s attorneys: “The order by Labuschagne AJ is
not appealable, it is in interim
order, not a final order and thus
not appealable. The plaintiff cannot simply issue irregular
proceedings which is bad in law and
expect the RAF to abide by
irregular proceedings”. Despite this, Mr S Malatji persists in
seeking to execute in conflict
with an interdict.
[41]
Sixth, the RAF referred to the absence of professionalism and
courtesy in Mr S Malatji’s handing
of Ms Ruele’s matter.
The RAF has placed letters and emails from Mr S Malatji before the
Court. The Court notes the language
employed by Mr S Malatji in his
engagements with the RAF’s attorneys. Mr S Malatji repeatedly
accused attorneys for the RAF
for having faked court orders and
calling them “delinquent”. The content of this has
to be tested against a standard
of professionalism.
[42]
Seventh, the RAF points to the ongoing litigation in this matter.
This is the third time the RAF has
had to approach the Court for
urgent relief to stay the execution. The Court considers that Mr S
Malatji has instituted the following
additional proceedings: a rule
35(12) notice in the Constitutional Court and an application to
compel under Rule 39 of the Constitutional
Court Rules. In addition,
two further applications have been launched before the Constitutional
Court, one under case umber CCT
76/2024 and another field on 10 June
2024 with no case number allocated.
[43]
Eighth, the RAF submitted that Mr S Malatji has shown negligence in
the manner he has represented Ms
Ruele. The RAF said, pointedly, Mr S
Malatji should be advising his client differently. They
refer to the clear provisions
of section 18 which indicate that an
interim order is not appealable. They refer to the clear
wording of the Labuschagne
order which interdicted the execution of
the default order until the rescission application is finalised.
[44]
In relation
to notice, the RAF submits that the Notice of Motion and the prayer
for costs
de
bonis propriis
was
served on Malatji S Legal Practitioners and it is submitted that same
is sufficient notice to request such an order.
[5]
[45]
The Court
has considered the issue of notice. In the
case of
Chithi
and
others
In
Re Luhlwini Mchunu Community v Hancock and Others
[6]
the
Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that an order costs
de
bonis
propriis,
can
only be made against a person once such a person at least has had the
opportunity to address the court regarding such
a possible costs
order. The Court also must be satisfied that Mr Malatji had an
opportunity to state his case. The Supreme
Court of Appeal has
overturned an order granting costs
de
bonis propriis
as the representative was not afforded such an opportunity. The
finding of the Court is:
“
Such an order may
not be made against a party or person that had not been afforded a
proper opportunity to respond to the allegations
in question and to
state his or her case in respect of the envisaged costs order. …
The court a quo did not call upon Smit
Sewgoolam to explain itself.
In the circumstances, it was denied an opportunity to state its case.
In the result, its appeal must
succeed with costs.”
[46]
The Court considers Mr S Malatji’s response to the RAF’s
notice that it intends to seek
personal costs against him. In
response to this notice of a possible costs
de bonis propriis
being sought, Mr S Malatji filed a filed a counter-claim in this
matter. The counter-claim was uploaded at 09:15 the morning of
the
hearing. The relief sought was for the joinder of the Judicial
Service Commission, two directors of Malatji Inc (the RAF’s
attorneys) and the Regional Manager of the RAF.
[47]
The counter-claim then also seeks to declare the Directors and the
Regional Manager as “vexatious
litigants as defined in the
Vexatious Proceedings Act 3 of 1956 since all Respondents are
interdicted in the Constitutional Court
not to institute any legal
proceedings against the 1st Respondent any High Court, Supreme Court
of Appeal and/or lower court in
the Republic of South Africa”
and that they be guilty of contempt of court “for 24 months
direct imprisonment in jail”.
The rest of the relief
sought includes:
“
8. The directors
and regional manager be deemed to have intentionally and unlawfully
insulted and undermined the judicial processes
of the Constitutional
Court by instituting the invalid legal proceedings before Pretoria
High Court;
9. The respondents –
inclusive of the JSC - be declared delinquent prescribed
officer of Road Accident Fund and others
be declared delinquent
prescribed officers of the court
10. That the legal
proceedings instituted by the Road Accident Fund and Malatji & Co
Attorneys be declared unlawful, invalid
and be referred to the
Constitutional Court.”
[48]
In essence, in response to the RAF giving Mr S Malatji notice of the
possibility of a personal cost
order being sought against him, on the
morning of the hearing of the Rule 45A application, Mr S Malatji
filed a counterclaim
seeking to join the attorneys of the RAF in
their personal capacity, as well as the RAF’s regional manager,
have them declared
vexatious litigants and have them imprisoned for
contempt of court for two years. The Court struck the counter-claim
from the roll.
However, it is Mr Malatji’s response to the
notice which weighs with the Court.
[49]
In this case, the RAF gave notice of its intention to seek personal
costs against Mr S Malatji in the
Notice of Motion, heads of argument
and two practice notes. Mr S Malatji was given notice and did not
respond to any of these opportunities
to indicate why no costs should
be granted.
[50]
The Court also engaged with Mr S Malatji, at the hearing, on whether
he had any submissions to be made
in relation to the issue of notice
and whether such costs were appropriate. Despite repeated invitations
from the Court, Mr S Malatji
claimed no prejudice and did not object
to the issue of notice. Mr S Malatji also did not object to the
notice he received of RAF’s
intention to seek costs
de bonis
propriis
.
[51]
The RAF has had to approach this Court for a third time. The
RAF is being forced to re-litigate
the same issue as a result of Ms
Ruele’s refusal to adhere to the existing order of Labuschagne
AJ and Davis J. Despite the
clarity of the orders of Labuschagne AJ
and Davis J, and the reasons provided in the application for leave to
appeal, Ms Ruele’s
legal representatives persist in their
endeavours to execute on the order. The RAF is entitled to its costs.
It does not appear
fair to place these costs at Ms Ruele’s
feet. The basis for the costs is the repeatedly abusive and negligent
manner in which
Ms Ruele’s case has been dealt with.
[52]
In these circumstances the Court finds that the Mr S Malatji is
liable to pay costs
de bonis propriis.
The costs can only be
charged from the moment Mr S Malatji received notice of the order
being sought against him, which was contained
in the notice of
motion. Mr S Malatji is liable for the costs incurred by the
RAF subsequent to the filing of the Notice
of Motion in this matter
on Scale A.
Urgency
[53]
The RAF submitted that should this above Honourable Court not grant
the relief sought then the removal
and sale of the RAF assets will
threaten the RAF’s operations and ability to make payment to
other claimants and to fulfil
its duty as a social security provider.
The Court notes that both Davis J and Labuschagne AJ have already
determined that the application
in exactly the same facts is urgent,
that there is a reasonable apprehension of harm if the order is not
granted and that the balance
of convenience favours stopping
execution.
[54]
The RAF submitted that once execution is completed, the process
cannot be undone, and it would mean
the possibility of an
illegitimate payment in circumstances where there is
prima facie
evidence of overcompensation and an unreasonable award
considering the injuries sustained. There was an auction scheduled
for the
21st of June 2024 which would have resulted in the sale of
the Applicant’s moveable assets. The Sheriff in question held
off from proceeding as a result of the launching of this urgent
application.
[55]
In this context, the Court accepted that the matter was urgent.
Conclusion
[56]
The Court replaces paragraph (j) of its order of 9 July 2024 which
reserved the consideration of costs
with an order that grants costs
de bonis propriis
against Mr S Malatji on scale A from the
date after Mr S Malatji received the notice of motion.
I de Vos
Acting Judge of the High
Court
Delivered:
This judgment is handed down electronically by uploading it to the
electronic file of this matter on CaseLines.
As a courtesy gesture,
it will be emailed to the parties/their legal representatives.
Counsel
for the applicant:
C Rip
Instructed
by:
Malatji
Inc
Representative
for the respondent:
S
Malatji (Counsel with trust account)
Date
of the hearing:
25
June 2024
Date
of the order:
9
July 2024
Date
of judgment:
26
July 2024
[1]
South African Liquor Traders Association and Others v Chairperson
Gauteng Liquor Board and Others (CCT57/05)
[2006] ZACC 7
;
2009 (1)
SA 565
(CC);
2006 (8) BCLR 901
(CC) (2 June 2006)
[2]
Grobbelaar
v Grobbelaar
1959
(4) SA 719
(A)
at 725
[3]
Public
Protector v South African Reserve Bank
[2019]
ZACC 29
;
2019
(9) BCLR 1113
(CC);
2019
(6) SA 253
(CC)
[4]
[2006]
ZACC 7
;
2009
(1) SA 565
(CC)
[2006] ZACC 7
; ;
2006
(8) BCLR 901
(CC)
para 54
[5]
Hlumisa Technolgies (Pty) Ltd and another v Voight NO and others
[2020] JOL 49141
(ECG)
8
2009 (1) SA 565
(CC) at para 54
[6]
[2021] JOL 51092
(SCA)
sino noindex
make_database footer start
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