Case Law[2022] ZAGPPHC 152South Africa
Cell C (Pty) Ltd v Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service (30959/2019) [2022] ZAGPPHC 152; 2022 (4) SA 183 (GP); 84 SATC 369 (11 March 2022)
High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria)
11 March 2022
Headnotes
the Commissioner is not obliged to keep a record or provide reasons. The following was said in relation to a wide appeal:
Judgment
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# South Africa: North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria
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## Cell C (Pty) Ltd v Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service (30959/2019) [2022] ZAGPPHC 152; 2022 (4) SA 183 (GP); 84 SATC 369 (11 March 2022)
Cell C (Pty) Ltd v Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service (30959/2019) [2022] ZAGPPHC 152; 2022 (4) SA 183 (GP); 84 SATC 369 (11 March 2022)
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sino date 11 March 2022
IN THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH
AFRICA
(GAUTENG DIVISION, PRETORIA)
(1)
REPORTABLE:
YES/
NO
(2)
OF
INTEREST TO OTHERS JUDGES: YES/
NO
(3)
REVISED
11/3/2022
Case number: 30959/2019
Date:
In the matter between:
CELL C (PTY)
LTD
APPLICANT
AND
THE COMMISSIONER OF THE SOUTH
AFRICAN
REVENUE
SERVICE
RESPONDENT
JUDGMENT
TOLMAY,
J:
[1]
This is an application in terms of Rule 30A to compel
the
respondent SARS/the Commissioner to dispatch a record in relation to
a decision regarding a tariff determination (“the impugned
decision”), which the applicant (“Cell C”) seeks to review and
set aside in the main application.
[2]
In the main application Cell C seeks to appeal a tariff determination
and asks that such determination be withdrawn and re-determined. It
also seeks that the impugned decision be reviewed, set aside
and
varied retrospectively.
[3]
The central dispute before this Court is whether, in the light
of the
wide appeal afforded to a party in section 47(9)(e) of the Customs
and Excise Act 91 of 1964 (“the CEA”), the High Court
has
jurisdiction to review SARS’s tariff determination in terms of Rule
53 of the Uniform Rules of Court. If the institution of
review
proceedings is competent then it is common cause that SARS is obliged
to produce a record and reasons under Rule 53. However,
if it does
not have review jurisdiction then Rule 53 does not apply and there is
no basis upon which to compel SARS to produce a
record. It has been
confirmed by the Constitutional Court in
Competition
Commission v Standard Bank
[1]
that a court must first decide the question of review jurisdiction
and the production of the record can only be ordered if such
jurisdiction
is established.
[4]
This application turns therefore primarily on a question of
statutory
interpretation, which is an objective inquiry.
[2]
This Court is required to interpret section 47(9)(e) of the CEA in
light of its context and purpose and to determine whether, properly
interpreted, a taxpayer challenging a tariff determination is
confined to the wide appeal remedy provided for in section 47(9)(e).
[5]
Section 47 of the CEA is concerned with the determination of
the
customs and excise duty payable on goods. In terms of section 47(1)
customs and excise duty is payable on all imported and excisable
goods, at the time of entry for home consumption, in terms of
Schedule 1.
[6]
Section 47(9)(e) provides that an appeal against any such
determination
lies to the division of the High Court in the area
wherein the determination was made, or the goods were entered for
home consumption.
[7]
Rule 53(1) of the Uniform Rules of Court provides for review
proceedings of decisions and proceedings of any tribunal, inferior
court, board or officer performing judicial, quasi-judicial or
administrative functions. It also requires that a record and reasons
be provided.
[8]
There is a marked difference between a wide appeal, as provided
for
by section 47(9)(e) and review proceedings. Reasons play an important
part in review proceedings, but in a wide appeal the court
hears the
matter
de
novo
and is not bound by the reasons given.
[3]
[9]
The distinction between an appeal and review was set out in
Tikly
and others v Johannes N.O. & others,
[4]
it
was said that an appeal in the wide sense is a complete re-hearing
and fresh determination on the merits, with or without additional
evidence, or information. An ordinary appeal or one in the strict
sense, is a re-hearing on the merits, but limited to the evidence
or
information on which the decision under appeal was given and the only
determination is whether that decision was right or wrong.
A review
on the other hand with or without additional evidence, or information
is not to determine whether the decision was correct
or not, but
whether the arbiters exercised their powers and discretion honestly
and properly.
[5]
This leads to the conclusion that the essential nature of a review,
is not directed at correcting a decision on the merits, but is
aimed
at the maintenance of legality.
[6]
A review is therefore only concerned with whether a decision is
lawful, whereas an appeal, is concerned with whether it is
correct.
[7]
A review is ultimately concerned with process and regularity. This
will be determined on the basis of the record and reasons.
[8]
In a review an administrator is bound by the reasons given at the
time of the decision.
[9]
In
Levi
Strauss SA (Pty) Ltd v Commissioner for the South African Revenue
Service
[10]
the preliminary nature of tariff determinations was recognised
as well as the fact that the subsequent appeal allows for a
complete
reconsideration.
[10]
It is therefore apparent that a wide appeal is fundamentally
different
from an appeal in the strict sense or a review, because the
matter is heard
de
novo
.
The court is not confined to the record and is in the same position
as the first instance decision maker.
[11]
As a result the record and reasons have very little value in a wide
appeal. It follows that a wide appeal could, if evidence
is led, be
compared to a trial in all material respects.
[11]
The question then arises whether section 47(9)(e) precludes the
appellant,
who brings a wide appeal from instituting review
proceedings. This must be answered by considering the statutory
framework as a whole.
Section 47(9)(e) gives jurisdiction to the High
Court to hear a wide appeal in relation to a tariff
determination, as
a result it is clear that the Legislature
intended the High Court to have jurisdiction to not only enforce, but
also grant the appropriate
remedy. The statute is silent on the
question of whether a review would still be available. This question
will be answered by considering
the provisions of the relevant
statute as a whole,
[12]
as well as the ambit and scope of the wide appeal provided for in
section 47(9)(e).
[12]
Relying on
Madrassa
Anjuman Islamia v Johannesburg Municipality,
[13]
it
was argued on behalf of SARS that where legislation restricts an
aggrieved party to a particular remedy that party has no further
legal remedy, otherwise the remedy provided by the statute will be
cumulative. However, it was also argued in
Anjuman
that it does not follow that in any particular case the rule should
necessarily prevail, as the question is one of construction and
if a
court is satisfied from the language of the Legislature that the
intention was that the special remedy provided by the Act should
not
be in substitution of, but in addition to the common law remedies,
then effect must be given to that intention. The Court however
emphasised such a case would be the exception to the general rule and
the
onus
is on the person relying on such a contention.
[14]
It was also argued, relying on what was stated by Lord Macnaghten in
Passmore
v Oswaldtwistle Urban Council
[15]
after
adopting the law as laid down by Lord Tenterden, “
whether
the general rule is to prevail, or an exception to the general rule
is to be admitted, must depend on the scope and language
of the Act
which creates the obligations and an (sic) considerations (sic) or
policy and convenience.
”
[16]
The general rule must be considered in the context of the CEA, the
ambit of a section 47(9)(e) appeal and with due consideration
of the case law.
[13]
In
Pahad
Shipphing v SARS,
[17]
the
application was based on section 65(6)(a) of the CEA, this section
provides similarly to section 47(9)(e) for a wide appeal to
the High
Court. It should be noted these sections are identically worded. The
SCA held that the Commissioner is not obliged to keep
a record or
provide reasons. The following was said in relation to a wide appeal:
“
The parties dealt with the
case as if it was an appeal in the wide sense, ie as if it was a
complete re-hearing of the case and a
fresh determination of the
merits of the case. Correctly so, in my view, for the following
reasons:
(a)
The Act does not
require of the respondent to hear evidence, to give any reasons for
his determination or to keep any record of proceedings.
As was held
in Tikly (supra) at 592 B-C, these considerations militate completely
against the “appeal” being an appeal in the
strict sense.
(b)
It is implicit in
the provisions of section 65(4)(c)(ii)(bb) to the effect that the
determination by the respondent cease to be in
force from the date of
a final judgment by the High Court or this Court that the court must
itself make a determination upon appeal
to it. That eliminates the
appeal being a review in the sense set out in (iii) above. (see Tikly
at 591H-592A).
(c)
As
there is no provision for a hearing before the determination of the
transaction value by the respondent the Legislature must, in
my view,
have intended “appeal” to be an appeal in the wide sense.”
[18]
[14]
The consequence of the aforesaid is that if no record keeping or
reasons
are required, there is no legal basis on which an applicant
can require the delivery of such a record. Although a review is not
specifically
excluded in terms of the CEA as a whole, the scope of a
wide appeal seems to negate the need for a review, as will be
explained later
on in the judgment.
[15]
In
Distell
& Another v Commissioner for the South African Revenue Services
and Another
the
Court was called upon to determine whether either under section
47(9)(e), or the common law, alternatively PAJA certain tariff
determinations made by the Commissioner could be impugned.
[19]
The matter proceeded to the Full Court
[20]
which argued that because an appeal in terms of section 47(9)(e) is
an appeal in the wide sense there is no need to resort to PAJA.
It
was argued that the wording of the CEA is “
trenchant
”
and the prescribed remedy for an aggrieved party is “
irrespective
of whether it is founded on the Commissioner’s alleged wrong
interpretation of the relevant statutory provisions …..
or his
incorrect application of the said provisions to the facts ….
”
an appeal in terms of section 47(9)(e).
[21]
[16]
In order to determine whether the
Distell
Full
Court decision made a finding that an applicant is confined to a
section 47(9)(e) appeal, one needs to consider all the judgments
in
Distell
as well as the wording of the Distell Full Court’s finding. In
dismissing the application the relevant issues decided by the Court
a
quo
were
that the proceedings attacking some of the tariff proceedings were
instituted too late. It then proceeded to dismiss the application
on
the merits.
[22]
The Court a
quo
made
no definitive finding regarding the question of whether a review
application was still appropriate in the light of the provisions
of
section 47(9)(e).
[17]
The Full Court proceeded to hold that the only issue to be decided in
the
appeal was the merits of the classification.
[23]
Despite defining the issue as such, it then proceeded to refer to
other issues which it said had to be decided, including whether
the
tariff determinations which were made during 1995 and 1996 may be
impugned, having regard to section 47(9)(e) of the CEA, the
common
law, alternatively section 7(1) read with section 9 of PAJA.
[24]
[18]
The matter proceeded to the SCA.
[25]
The SCA viewed the relief sought by Distell in the Courts below as
taking the form of an appeal in terms of section 47(9)(e), or
as an
alternative, applications to compel the Commissioner to correct
determinations “
made
in error
”
as contemplated in section 47(9)(d)(i), and in respect of one of the
products, of declaratory relief.
[26]
It was recorded by the SCA that the appellants had refined the relief
claimed by them without objection from the respondent before
the Full
Court and persisted with the refined relief in the SCA.
[27]
This relief did not include any reference to the question of whether
review proceedings was still available in the light of section
47(9)(e). In a concurring judgment Harms DP stated that the Full
Court added a discussion of matter which was not raised by either
party, namely the application of PAJA to the case and said “
In
the course of this the issue, which ought to be a straight forward
interpretation issue became blurred.
”
[28]
He then continued to state “
The
case is about excise duty.”
[29]
The
majority did not deal with the Full Court’s venture into an issue
which it was clearly not called upon to determine and the
remark by
Harms DP is obviously correct. In
Blaauwbosch
Diamonds Ltd v Union Government (Minister of Finance)
[30]
it
was held that the overlooking of an important point led to a judgment
being granted per
incuriam.
It
is trite that a case cannot be regarded as precedent on a point where
the court acted per
incuriam
.
[31]
[19]
In my view the musings of the Full Court with reference to the
applicability
of PAJA cannot be construed as anything but a remark
made per
incuriam
and as a result that issue did not require
the SCA’s attention and no inference can legitimately be drawn that
the SCA supported
or upheld that conclusion. It is in this context
that the observation by Harms DP must be considered. This view is
supported by the
reference to the refined relief claimed which made
no reference to the question of review jurisdiction.
[20]
In addition to the above the Full Court did not give any indication
that
any consideration was given to whether a wide appeal will
exclude a review. The learned judge in the Full Court merely stated
that
there was no need to revert to PAJA due to the availability of
the wide appeal. As a result, the
Distell
Full Court finding
is not binding authority for the proposition that reliance on PAJA is
excluded in terms of the CEA. It should
nevertheless be said that,
the remark that no need to resort to PAJA exists due to the nature of
a wide appeal, is correct.
[21]
The same dispute between the parties also arose in other matters. In
BCE
Food Services Equipment (Pty) Ltd v Commissioner of the South African
Revenue Services
[32]
the applicant sought to review a decision of the respondent and
elected not to pursue any rights under section 47(9)(e) of the CEA.
The court found that a review was competent. The court stated as
follows:
“
Section 47 bestows a right
on a party, which right would not have existed but for the provisions
of the section. There is no common
law or other legislative
provisions which an aggrieved party could employ in order to
challenge a determination of the respondent,
save of course for a
common law review or the provisions of PAJA. There is no indication
in the Customs and Excise Act that the provisions
of PAJA have been
ousted and that an aggrieved party is limited to the appeal procedure
provided for in that Act. The test is whether
the legislation obliges
and restricts an aggrieved person to utilise the remedy provided for
in that legislation. No such construction
can be placed on s 47 of
the Customs and Excise Act and there is no language contained in the
Act that leads to a conclusion that
the legislature has confined a
complainant to the particular statutory remedy. The decisions on
which the respondent relied during
argument in support of the
contention that a party may not utilise the provisions of PAJA, do
not say that and it would have been
surprising if they did deprive an
aggrieved person of the rights afforded him or her in terms of PAJA
and the Constitution. Kriegler
J said as follows:
‘
It is important to have
clarity about the effect of the mechanism created by ss 33 and ss 33A
of the Act. Were it not for this special
‘appeal’ procedure, the
avenues for substantive redress available to vendors aggrieved by the
rejection of their objections to
assessments and decisions by the
Commissioner would probably have been common-law judicial review as
now buttressed by the right
to just administrative action under s 33
of the Constitution, and as fleshed out in the Promotion of
Administrative Justice Act.’
Indeed Kriegler J was at
pains to make it clear that an aggrieved party is not limited to the
remedies created in the legislation:
‘
But, and this is crucial to
an understanding of this aspect of the case, the Act nowhere excludes
judicial review in the ordinary
course. The Act creates a tailor-made
mechanism for redressing complaints about the Commissioner’s
decisions but leaves intact
all other avenues of relief.’
The
applicant disavowed reliance on appeal procedure and all arguments
advanced by the respondent as if this (sic) an appeal and based
on
the provisions of s 47(9)(e), fall by the wayside.”
[33]
[22]
In
Richards
Bay Coal Terminal (Pty) Ltd v Commissioner of the South African
Revenue Service
[34]
an
appeal and review were sought in the alternative. As in this case,
SARS argued that the impugned decisions were not reviewable
either
under the provisions of PAJA, or the principle of legality. As in
this instance, SARS insisted that the applicant was limited
to the
wide appeal provided for in section 47(9)(e) of the CEA, the Court
referred to
BCE
and found that there was no basis for a construction which would
confine an aggrieved party to that remedy alone and to exclude any
other rights, including the right to a review. The Court
distinguished the matter before it from what was found in
Pahad
Shipping
and
Levi
Strauss
on
the basis that those matters did not deal with instances where review
proceedings had been instituted.
[23]
This Court is bound by BCE unless it is found that the finding was
clearly
incorrect. Due consideration should also be given to what was
found in
RBCT
. Whether this Court should deviate from what was
found in these matters will now be explored.
[24]
The CEA caters for the correction of a tariff determination by the
Commissioner,
or by the High Court by way of a wide appeal. The
question arises whether the court’s review jurisdiction is ousted
as a result
of the nature of a wide appeal.
BCE
and
RCBT
found that it was not. In
BCE
an election was made by the
applicant not to avail itself of the wide appeal provided for in
section 47(9)(e) on this aspect
BCE
is distinguishable from
the present matter.
[25]
It was argued by SARS that review proceedings would subvert the
process
provided for and the statutory scheme of the CEA. In
Levi
Strauss
[35]
the court reiterated that the object of the
de
novo
appeal is to permit a first instance hearing at which the applicant
may seek reconsideration on additional facts and grounds.
Review proceedings imply, by its very nature the existence of a
decision by a forum of first instance, which can only be reviewed
and
set aside if the conditions for a review exist. Review proceedings
will subvert the purpose of the wide appeal provided for in
the CEA,
because the tariff determination is preliminary and provisional and
subject to later revision by the court. It is particularly
problematic, to in the same proceedings, deal with two different
remedies which will require the application of conflicting legal
principles. In this regard the differences between a wide
appeal and review as set out in
Tikly
are particularly relevant.
[26]
In
Richards
Bay Bulk Storage (Pty) Ltd v Minister of Public Enterprises
[36]
it was held that the question of whether a court
a
quo
had jurisdiction to hear a review application will depend on whether
the relevant act excludes such jurisdiction and if the act does
not
do so in express terms, the question that should follow is whether it
does so by implication.
[37]
[27]
The CEA seen as a whole does not expressly exclude review
jurisdiction,
nor does it do so by implication. It provides for
appeals in
inter
alia
section 47(9)(e), 49(7)(iii), 65(6) and 69(5), and for reviews
in section 60(2), 75(4A)(f) and 101(A)(6)(b). These provisions
bolsters the view that review proceedings are not excluded
altogether, but also confirms the notion that, depending on what one
seeks
to accomplish will ultimately determine the appropriate
procedure. If one avails oneself of the wide appeal in terms of
section
47(9)(e), the possibility of a review is excluded due to the
scope of a wide appeal. In
Lloyd
and Others v McMahan
[38]
it was accepted that a wide appeal will also encompass grounds of
review.
[39]
The appeal provided for in section 47(9)(e) is more generous than a
review, for example in a review the court is enjoined to afford
a
decision maker “
appropriate
deference
”,
[40]
this is not required in a wide appeal. A wide appeal by its
very nature will accordingly provide an applicant with proper access
to justice as the wide appeal will also encompass grounds of review
and will call for a total re-hearing which is not confined in
any
sense.
[28]
It was argued on behalf of Cell C that the appeal process, while
appropriate
to decide the correctness of a tariff determination, is
inappropriate when a court is to decide whether it will interfere
with the
exercise of the Commissioner’s discretion regarding the
effective date. It was argued, relying on
International
Business Machines (Pty) Ltd v Commissioner for Customs and Excise
[41]
that
the appeal process is dependant on (a) ascertaining the meaning of
the words in competing tariff headings by applying the principles
of
interpretation and the Explanatory Notes to the Harmonised System,
considering the nature and characteristics of the goods and
(b)
deciding which tariff heading most appropriately describes the goods.
[29]
On a proper reading of section 47(9)(e) it is clear that a wide
appeal
includes all aspects relating to tariff determination
including the effective date of the tariff determination.
Section 47(9)(a)
allows the Commissioner to determine the tariff
heading in terms of which goods are classified and to determine
whether goods have
been used in terms of such tariff headings.
Section 47(9)(b) provides that whenever a determination is made or
withdrawn and another
one is made, any amount remains payable as long
as the relevant determination remains in force. Section 47(9)(c)
provides that when
the High Court amends or orders the amendment of a
determination, the Commissioner is not liable for interest. Section
47(9)(d) empowers
the Commissioner to amend or withdraw a
determination that was made in error or irregularly. In terms of
section 47(9)(d)(ii) a new
determination may be made with effect
retrospectively or prospectively.
[30]
In
BCE
the Court held that the CEA did not oust the provisions of PAJA and
an aggrieved party is not limited to the procedure provided for
in
section 47(9)(e).
[42]
The court in doing so relied on
Metcash
Trading Limited v Commissioner, South African Revenue Service &
Another.
[43]
This case involved
inter
alia
,
the constitutionality of the VAT Act, which provides that upon
assessment and notwithstanding the noting of a statutory
administrative
appeal a taxpayer is obliged to pay VAT, with possible
adjustments and refunds being left for dispute later.
[44]
The Constitutional Court had to consider what other remedies were
available to a taxpayer, apart from the statutory appeal. The Court
emphasised that the internal appeal was an administrative and not a
judicial process. The Court held that the creation of this special,
non-judicial appeal procedure did not oust the High Court’s common
law review power in the ordinary course.
[45]
In
Metcash
there
was no indication or consideration of a wide appeal to the High
Court. The appeal in
Metcash
was an appeal in the ordinary sense.
[46]
The effect of interpreting section 36 of the VAT Act to mean that a
party was deprived of a common law review would mean that the
party
was, in the first instance, deprived of the right to approach a court
at all and even after the internal appeal was not entitled
to a wide
appeal. It follows that
Metcash
cannot be authority for the notion that review proceedings remain
available when applying section 47(9)(e). Accordingly the principle
in
Metcash
was incorrectly applied in
BCE.
Contrary to what happened in
Metcash
section 47(9)(e) does not deprive a party of judicial recourse, a
party is entitled as of right to a judicial re-consideration of
a
tariff determination on the merits.
[31]
It is not correct, as Cell C argued, that there are two discrete
decision-making
processes. There is no discrete decision as to
retrospectively. The decision as to the effective date of the
determination is part
of the determination itself and is subject to
an appeal under section 47(9)(e). The aforesaid is clear from the
determination itself.
SARS gave notice that the tariff determination
was withdrawn on 10 April 2018, the withdrawal was effective as from
4 May 2017, as
it was made in error. In a letter Cell C was informed
of the appeal provisions of section 47(9)(e). A perusal of the
determination
clearly points to a single determination. There is no
indication that there are decisions that can be disaggregated.
[32]
Some emphasis was also placed on the internal appeal provided for in
Chapter
XA of the CEA, which was amended in 2003 and which, makes
provision for an internal appeal in section 77B. This administrative
appeal
is not obligatory and this remedy does not require exhaustion
prior to the institution of legal proceedings, therefore a section
47(9)(e) appeal must be interpreted as though it operates as a direct
appeal. In this instance the administrative appeal route was
followed, but that will not have any significance or limit the High
Court’s discretion in any way due to the nature of a wide appeal.
[33]
On a proper interpretation of the CEA the court retains review
jurisdiction
in certain circumstances, but when one has access to the
wide appeal remedy provided for in section 47(9)(e), the possibility
of
a review is excluded. Relying on a wide appeal and a review
application in the same application create a number of difficulties.
As is by now clear a wide appeal entails a complete d
e novo
hearing, a review on the other hand is restricted to procedural
issues. SARS was clear that it did not contend that review procedure
would generally be unavailable, if I understand the argument
correctly it is that by virtue of the provisions of section 47(9)(e),
review procedure which would otherwise be available, will not be
available. The consequence of this is merely that if one has access
to a wide appeal, one cannot in the same breath resort to review
proceedings. I am of the view that this is indeed the correct
approach.
This approach gives effect to the purpose of the CEA and
does not limit access to justice.
[34]
It must be emphasised that if Cell C succeeds in its statutory appeal
against
the re-determination, then the re-determination, including
the retrospectivity, will be set aside. The merits of the
determination
must be dealt with together with the effective date.
[35]
As already stated a section 47(9)(e) appeal embraces review grounds.
The
fact that there is an element of discretion is no obstacle, as a
wide appeal is a complete re-hearing in which the court itself
exercises
a discretion on the facts before it in
Commissioner
for the South African Revenue Service v Afri-Guard (Pty) Ltd
[47]
the Full Court confirmed this.
CONCLUSION
[36]
It is clear from the above that the court’s general review
jurisdiction
is not ousted, but in the light of the ambit of a wide
appeal the need for a review falls away when such an appeal is
available.
The court can, as was illustrated above, exercise its own
discretion and substitute its decision on all grounds with that of
the
Commissioner. To allow a wide appeal and a review in these
circumstances will also result in the remedies to be cumulative and
will
lead to confusion. The vastly different legal principles
applicable to a wide appeal and a review will result in a legally
untenable
situation. In doing so the purpose of treating the
tariff determination being provisional and preliminary will be
subverted.
The fact of the matter is that the CEA does not require
the Commissioner to keep a record or give reasons as was said in
Pahad
. Accordingly it would not be appropriate for a court to
compel the Commissioner to provide a record where he is not legally
required
to keep one. In any event, in a wide appeal the applicant
will be able to obtain access to all relevant documents by way of
discovery
in terms of Rule 35 of the Uniform Rules of Court.
[37]
The ordinary concern with ouster clauses, namely that an aggrieved
party’s
access to courts, administrative justice or an effective
remedy is limited does not arise.
[48]
There can accordingly not be any prejudice or limitation to access to
courts, or administrative justice if a party is obliged to
pursue a
wide appeal instead of a review. In my view the result is that where
a statutory appeal is available under section 47(9)(e),
that process
should be followed instead of a review.
[38]
I have already indicated that this Court is not bound by
Distell
as the remarks made were clearly per
incuriam
. As far as
BCE
is concerned, it would seem that the finding was clearly wrong, as
the principles set out in
Metcash
was incorrectly applied and
the ambit of a section 47(9)(e) appeal was not properly appreciated.
[39]
As a result the Court finds that it does not have review
jurisdiction, and as
a result the Commissioner cannot be ordered to
supply a record.
[40]
I make the following order:
1. It is declared that
the Court does not have review jurisdiction to review the
respondent’s tariff determination in the
light of the wide appeal
afforded to the applicant in section 47(9)(e) of the CEA.
2. The application in
terms of Rule 30 A to compel is dismissed.
3.
The applicant is ordered to pay the costs of the application,
including the costs of two counsel, one of which is senior
counsel.
R G TOLMAY
JUDGE OF THE HIGH COURT,
PRETORIA
DATE OF
HEARING:
12 OCTOBER 2021
DATE OF
JUDGMENT:
11 MARCH 2022
ATTORNEY FOR
APPLICANT:
CLIFF DEKKER HOFMEYR INC
ADVOCATE FOR
APPLICANT:
C E PUCKRIN (SC)
J P VORSTER (SC)
ATTORNEY FOR RESPONDENT:
VDT ATTORNEYS
ADVOCATE FOR RESPONDENT:
G MARCUS (SC)
M MBIKIKWA
[1]
Competition Commission v Standard Bank; Competition Commission v
Waco Africa (Pty) Ltd & others
[2020] ZACC 2
para 114-121 and
201-202.
[2]
Natal Joint Municipal Pension Fund v Edumeni Municipality 2012(4) SA
593 (SCA) para 18.
[3]
Acti-Chem SA (Pty) Ltd v Commissioner for SARS [2019] ZAKZPHC 58 (15
August 2019) para 2; Distell v Commissioner of SARS 2012(5)
SA 450
(SCA).
[4]
1963(2) 588 (T) (Tikly).
[5]
Ibid
590-591.
[6]
Pretoria Portland Cement Co Ltd and Another v Competition Commission
and Others 2003(2) SA 385 (SCA) para 35.
[7]
Liberty Life Association of Africa v Kachelhoffer 2001(3) SA 1994
(C) p 1110-1111.
[8]
Democratic Alliance v President of the Republic of South Africa
2017(4) SA 253 GP.
[9]
National Lottery Board v South African Education and Environment
Project 2012(4) SA 504; Van Zyl & others v Government of the
Republic of South Africa & others 2008(3) SA 294 (SCA) at 311
D-F.
[10]
Case no 20923/2015 (Delivered 2 May 2017) (Levi Strauss).
[11]
Khan & others v Electoral Commission & Another 2016(2) SA
338 (CC) para 41; Refugee Appeal Board & others v Mukungubila
2019(3) SA 141 (SCA); Road Accident fund v Duma and Three Similar
Cases 2013(6) SA 9 (SCA).
[12]
Kubheka and Another v Imextra (Pty) Ltd 1975(4) SA 484 (W) at 489 A
– B; Steenkamp and others v Edcon Limited 2016(3) SA 251
(CC) para
146.
[13]
1917 AD 718 (Anjuman).
[14]
Ibid
723.
[15]
1898.A.C. 387.
[16]
Anjuman p 723.
[17]
[2017] ZAGPPHC 990 (2 May 2017) (Pahad).
[18]
Ibid
para 14.
[19]
Distell Ltd & Others v Commissioner for SARS & Another
[2006] 18682 (GNP) para 30 – 31 (the Court
a
quo
).
[20]
Distell Ltd & another v Commissioner of SARS & another
[2009] 23384 (GNP) (Distell Full Court).
[21]
Distell Full Court para 35.
[22]
The Court
a
quo
’s
judgment p 60.
[23]
Distell Full Court para 30 -31.
[24]
Distell Full Court para 35.
[25]
2010 JDR 1024 (SCA) (Distell SCA).
[26]
Distell SCA para 4.
[27]
Distell SCA para 20.
[28]
Distell SCA para 74.
[29]
Distell SCA para 75.
[30]
1915 AD 599
p 603.
[31]
National Union of Metal Workers of SA v Jumbo Products CC 1996(4)
735 A at 7427 J, see also Trade Fairs and Promotions (Pty) Ltd
v
Thomson 1984(4) SA 177 (W) at 184 D-I.
[32]
[2017] ZAGPJHC 243 (12 September 2017) (“BCE”).
[33]
Ibid
paras 7 & 8 (footnotes deleted).
[34]
Case number D10030/2019 LZNLO (12 August 2021) (“RBCT”).
[35]
Levi Strauss para 29, see also Pahad, Khan & Others v Electoral
Commission and Another 2016(1) SA 338 (CC) para 41.
[36]
1996(4) SA 490 (A).
[37]
Ibid
494 para F-L.
[38]
[1987] All ER 118 (HL).
[39]
1135 – 1136, 1152, 1157, 1165 - 1166.
[40]
Bato Star Fishing (Pty) Ltd v Minister of Environmental Affairs &
Tourism & others 2004(4) SA 490 (CC) para 46.
[41]
1985(4) SA 852 (A) 863G.
[42]
BCE para 7.
[43]
2001(1) SA 11099 (CC) (Metcash).
[44]
Ibid
para 8.
[45]
Ibid
para 33.
[46]
The section 34 appeal was in terms of the now-repealed section 86A
of the Income Tax Act 58 of 1986, which was an ordinary appeal.
See
Commissioner for Inland Revenue v Da Costa 1985(3) SA 768 (A) at 775
B-F; Commissioner for the South African Revenue v Capstone
556 (Pty)
Ltd
[2016] All SA 21
(SCA) para 19.
[47]
[2017] JOL 3922
G (GJ) para 59.
[48]
Liberty Life Association of Africa v Kachelhoffer NO & others
2001(3) SA 1094 © at 106 B; Lenz Township Co (Pty) Ltd v Lorentz
NO
& andere 1961(2) SA 450 (A); Minister of Law and Order &
others v Hurley and Another 1986(3) SA 568 (A).
sino noindex
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