Case Law[2022] ZAGPPHC 257South Africa
Standard Bank of South Africa Limited v Mpofu and Others (83867/2015) [2022] ZAGPPHC 257 (15 March 2022)
High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria)
15 March 2022
Headnotes
by virtue of Deed of Transfer Number 238694/2009 (the subject property). In terms of the Court Order granted by this Court on 19 January 2016, the Mpofu’s are judgements debtors, Mr Mpofu having been the first defendant and Ms Mpofu having been the second defendant in the main action of case number 83867/15.
Judgment
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# South Africa: North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria
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## Standard Bank of South Africa Limited v Mpofu and Others (83867/2015) [2022] ZAGPPHC 257 (15 March 2022)
Standard Bank of South Africa Limited v Mpofu and Others (83867/2015) [2022] ZAGPPHC 257 (15 March 2022)
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IN
THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA
GAUTENG
DIVISION, PRETORIA
Case Number:
83867/2015
In the matter between:
STANDARD BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA
LTD
APPLICANT
And
THAMSANQA MBOTSHWA
MPOFU
FIRST CLAIMANT
(Identity number: [….])
LUNGILE
MPOFU
SECOND
CLAIMANT
(Identity number: [….])
PRIME PORTFOLIO INVESTMENTS
A (PTY) LTD THIRD
CLAIMANT
(Registration Number:
1993/002599/07
EXTREME WAY TOGO (PTY)
LTD
FOURTH
CLAIMANT
(2017/427954/07)
THE CITY OF JOHANNESBURG LOCAL
MUNICIPALITY
FIFTH CLAIMANT
JUDGMENT
MABUSE J
[1]
On 9 March 2021 I granted the following order:
“
1. The
Applicant is to pay the amount of R800,000 (Eight Hundred Thousand
Rand), toward the Fourth Claimant by virtue of which the
Applicant is
released from any further liability
pertaining to the subject
matter under dispute.
2. The Applicant is authorized
to conduct a new sale in execution by virtue of the Order of the
above honorable Court dated 19 January
2016.
3. The First and Second
Claimants are to pay the costs of this application on attorney and
client scale, jointly and or severally,
including the costs of the
Fourth Claimant.”
[2]
The First and Second Claimants now want reasons for the Order I so
granted. These are
therefore the reasons.
THE PARTIES
[3.1] The
Applicant in this matter was the Standard Bank of South Africa
Limited (the Bank). Its registered address
is located at 9th Floor, 5
Simmonds Street, Johannesburg.
[3.2] The
First Claimant, Thamsanqa Mbotshwa Mpofu (Mr Mpofu) is an adult male
who resided at[….], Johannesburg.
[3.3] The
Second Claimant is Lungile Mpofu (Ms Mpofu) an adult female who
resided at the same address as the First
Claimant by virtue of their
being married to each other.
[3.3.1] The First and the Second
Claimants (the Mpofu’s) are the owners of the immovable property
known as [….], Registration
Division J.R, The Province of Gauteng,
measuring 1173 (One Thousand One Hundred and Seventy-Three) square
meters, Held by virtue
of Deed of Transfer Number 238694/2009 (the
subject property). In terms of the Court Order granted by this Court
on 19 January 2016,
the Mpofu’s are judgements debtors, Mr Mpofu
having been the first defendant and Ms Mpofu having been the
second defendant
in the main action of case number 83867/15.
[3.4] The
Third Claimant was Prime Portfolio Investments (Pty) Ltd, (Prime
Portfolio), a private company
duly registered in accordance with the
company statutes of this country, with its registered office situated
at 5 Ashley Rd, Bryanston,
Johannesburg.
[3.4.1] Prime Portfolio is
at the same time the “first purchaser” of the subject property.
Prime Portfolio purchased the
subject property at an auction sale
following the Court Order and based on the Conditions of Sale in
Execution dated 24 April 2018(the
first sale).
[3.4.2] Following
the said purchase, Prime Portfolio paid an amount of R260, 996. 45 in
respect of municipal
rates for rates clearance certificate to the
Fifth Claimant. This amount also formed form part of the subject
matter in dispute.
[3.5] The
Fourth Claimant, Extreme Way Togo (Pty) Ltd (Extreme Way Togo), is a
private
company duly registered in terms of the company statutes of
this country, with its registered address situated at 25 Seven Drive,
Westville, Durban, KZN.
[3.5.1] Extreme
Way Togo, by reason of an Offer to purchase (the Second Sale
Agreement) paid a sum of R800,000 to
the Mpofu’s. This payment was
made by way of direct electronic fund transfer into the Mpofu’ home
loan account with the Bank.
Seemingly, this amount related to the net
amount or a portion thereof payable in relation to the purchase price
of the subject property.
According to the Mpofu’s the amount of
R800,000 paid by Extreme Way Togo into the Mpofu’s loan account
with the Bank was part
of the sum of R1,600,000 that was supposed to
be transferred to Pandor attorneys in terms of clause 2.2 of the
Offered to Purchase.
[3.6] The Fifth
Claimant is the Johannesburg Local Municipality (Johannesburg Local
Municipality), a local municipality
duly established in terms of
section 12 of the Local Government Municipal Structures Act 2000,
with its main place of business located
at the First Floor, Council
House, Metropolitan Centre, 158 Civic Blvd, Braamfontein,
Johannesburg. Johannesburg Local Municipality
is a beneficiary of an
amount of R260,996.45 paid by Prime Portfolio in terms of the First
Sale Agreement.
[4.1] This
matter is rooted in the Uniform Rule 58 in which the Bank foresaw
liability regarding
payment of monies in its keeping to one or more
of the claimants resulting from one or more of the sales of the
subject matter. It
came before me as an unopposed application.
Ultimately this application turns on whether either the Mpofu’s
have on one hand, or
Extreme Way Togo has, on the other hand,
established a claim towards the subject matter in dispute, namely two
separate amounts of
money emanating from two respective sale
agreements relating to the same subject matter, which is registered
in the names of the
Mpofu’s
. Rule 58(1) of the Uniform Rules of
Court states that:
“
Where
any person, in this rule called “the applicant” alleges that he
is under any liability in respect of which he is or expects
to be
sued by two or more parties making adverse claims, in this rule
referred to as “the claimants”, in respect thereto, the
applicant
may deliver a notice, in terms of this rule called an “interpleader
notice”, to the claimants. In regard to conflicting
claims
with respect to property attached in execution, the sheriff shall
have the rights of an applicant and an execution creditor
shall have
the right of a claimant.”
THE BACKGROUND
[5]
On 19 January 2016, the Bank obtained the following default
judgment against both the
Mpofu’s:
“
1.
Payment of the sum of R4.116,710.74.
2. Payment of interest on the
amount of R4, 116, 710. 74 at the rate of 8.28% per annum as from 13
October 2015 to date of final payment,
calculated daily and
compounded monthly.
3. Payment of monthly
insurance premiums.
4. An order declaring
executable the property known a s[….](one thousand one hundred
and seventy-three) square meters; Held
by Deed of Grant [….].
5. An order authorizing the
Registrar to issue a writ of execution in respect of the property.
6. Costs of suit on attorney
and client scale.
[6]
The Mpofu’s became the registered owners of
the subject property
by virtue of a loan agreement they had obtained
from the Bank. The said loan agreement was secured by a mortgage bond
number B 28732/2009
in amount of R3, 440, 000. 00 and an additional
amount of our R860, 000 registered over the subject property in
respect of the monies
lent and advanced by the Bank to the Mpofu’s
at their special instance and request.
[7]
Upon the breach committed by the Mpofu’s,
on or about October 2015
and when the arrears on the loan repayment
had escalated to R270, 000.00, the Bank caused summons to be issued
against the Mpofu’s.
At that time, the amount due and owing by them
to the Bank was R4, 100, 000.00 together with interest at 8.28% per
annum.
[8]
As from 13 October 2015 the Bank assumed the
responsibility for the
payment of the monthly
premiums of R1, 650.00 for the entire period.
ATTEMPTED RESCISSION OF THE
DEFAULT JUDGMENT
[9]
On or about 15 February 2016, the Mpofu’s
brought an application
for the recission of the default judgment
obtained against them on 16 January 2016. On 10 November 2017, the
said application was
dismissed with costs on a scale between attorney
and client against them, by Mudau J.
[10]
On or about 12 and April 2018 the Mpofu’s
instituted the second application
for the recission of the said
judgment. That application was dismissed by the Court on 19 November
2018. Again, the Mpofu’s were
ordered to pay the costs of the said
application on a punitive scale.
[11]
By notice of motion dated 18 June 2018 the
Mpofu’s instituted an application
to interdictthe transfer of the
subject property to the Prime Portfolio. The application was removed
from the roll on 1 February
2021 after the Bank had filed its
opposing papers on the Mpofu’s.
[12]
I was satisfied that the Bank had acted correctly in
bringing this Rule 58(1) application.
These Interpleader proceedings
were not unnecessary. In a similar situation
in African Life
Assurance v Van Der Nest and Another 1971(3) SA 672 (C) at 675B
the Court had the following to say:
“
The
applicant was therefore, in my view, entitled to make use of the
interpleader procedure to get the proper claimants before the
Court,
alternatively to ask for an order under sub-rule (5) granting it
immunity against such of them as failed to respond to the
interpleader notice, for until this was done applicant was liable to
be sued for the proceeds at the instance of the second claimant
.
In their declaration of facts or
particulars of claim, the Mpofu’s claimed that the sum of
R800,000.00 paid by Extreme Way Togo
into their loan agreement was
theirs. The Mpofu’s claimed ownership of the money. Quite clearly,
they would have sued the Bank
for the return of the money. So would
Extreme Way. Based on the cancellation of the Second Sale Agreement,
and as reflected in its
particulars of claim, Extreme Way would also
have chosen to sue the Bank for the refund of the sum of R800,000.00.
The subject matter
of the dispute consequently related to the
aforesaid amounts emanating from the First and Second Sale
Agreements, in other words,
the sums of R260, 997.49 and R 800,
000000.Therefore, it was only proper, in the circumstances that the
Bank should interplead. The
object of the interpleader proceedings
was to protect the Bank against possible future claims.
It is not correct, as alleged by
the First and Second Claimants, that the Bank colluded with any of
the other Claimants nor is it
correct that there was any unlawful
debiting of the Mpofu’s loan account with the Bank. These
allegations of collusion and unlawful
debiting of their loan account
made by the Mpofu’s are unfounded and lack merit. If this Court
were not happy with the application,
it would have dismissed it in
terms of Rule 58(6) of the Rules of Court. Save for its charges and
costs, the Bank claims no interest
in the sum of R800,000.00 paid by
the Extreme Way Togo into the Mpofu’s bond account with the Bank.
In my view, the Mpofu’s lay
claim to the said sum of R800,000
out of sheer ignorance.
SALE IN EXECUTION
[13]
On 24 April 2018, and pursuant to the Court
Order of 19 January 2016,
the subject property was sold at the sale
in execution to the Prime Portfolio.
[14]
Notwithstanding the fact that the
subject property was sold at the sale
in execution to the Prime
Portfolio on 24 April 2018, on 15 January 2019 the Mr Mpofu requested
that the home loan be reinstated
as he and Ms Mpofu wanted to pay the
full outstanding arrears, the default charges, and the legal costs of
the Bank.
[15]
On 18 February 2019 the Bank's attorneys
advised the Mpofu’s that the relevant
bond cancellation documents
had been already on 11 April 2019 prior to the sale in
execution to the bond cancellation
conveyancers. All that rendered
the possibility of the reinstatement of the loan agreement
impracticable and untenable.
[16]
The Mpofu’s reassured the Bank’s attorneys of
record that, if they cancelled the
sale in execution of the subject
property to the Third Claimant, they the Mpofu’s, would be able to
pay all outstanding arrears,
default charges and legal costs, by
reason of the fact that they had secured a purchaser for the subject
property in an amount more
than the amount reached at the sale in
execution. The Mpofu’s undertook in that manner that they would
comply with the provisions
of section 129 (3)(a) of the NCA which
provides that:
“
129 (3)
Subject to such subsection (4), a consumer may-
at
any time before the credit provider has cancelled the agreement
re-instate a credit agreement
that is in default by paying to the credit provider all amounts that
are overdue, together with the credit provider’s
permitted default charges and reasonable costs of enforcing the
agreement up to the time of re-instatement; and-
after
complying with paragraph (a), may resume possession of any property
that had been repossessed
by the credit provider up to an attachment order.”
[17]
As a consequence, on 28 March
2019 the Bank instructed its attorneys
to cancel the sale in
execution and to reinstate the Mpofu’s loan agreement. The
consequence thereof was that Prime Portfolio had
to be reimbursed.
The Sheriff's commission, Johannesburg Local Municipality’s
charges, the Homeowners Association’s levies as
well as the wasted
transfer fees had to be paid to the Prime Portfolio, which was
reimbursed with all the said amounts save the amount
that was paid to
Johannesburg Local Municipality. In short, the Mpofu’s had to
satisfy the requirements of section 129(3) of the
NCA for the
efficient, proper, and complete re-instatement of their credit
agreement with the Bank.
[18]
On 26 September 2019 the Bank’s
attorneys, because of the cancellation
of the sale in execution,
requested the Johannesburg Local Municipality to reimburse the Prime
Portfolio with the sum of R260,
996 .45 paid to it in respect
of the rates and clearance figures due, if the sale in execution be
fulfilled and transfer required,
without any success.
[19]
To enable the re-instatement of their
loan agreement the Mpofu’s were
required to pay the arrears and the
related default charges, and the costs in the sum of R1, 577, 447.61
as the re-statement amount
in terms of section 129 (3) of the NCA. In
short, the Mpofu’s had to satisfy the requirements of section
129(3) of the NCA for
the credit agreement to be effectively,
properly, and completely reinstated. The Mpofu’s were also advised
of a possible claim
for damages from Prime Portfolio relating to the
amount paid by it to the Johannesburg Local Municipality towards the
municipal rates
and taxes, monies owed to the relevant Homeowners
Association as well as the Sheriff's commission and wasted costs, and
which could
have enabled Prime Portfolio to obtain transfer of the
subject property in its name.
[20]
I accept that the re-instatement
of the Mpofu’s credit agreement
was subject to them satisfying the
requirements of s 129(3) of the NCA, in other words, they had to
satisfy the court before there
could be any effective restatement of
their credit agreement that:
[20.1] they had t
paid to the credit provider, in other words the Bank, all the amounts
that were overdue in terms of
the credit agreement.
[20.2] they
had paid the credit provider’s, in other words, the Bank’s
permitted default
charges.
[20.3]
they had paid the Bank’s reasonable costs of enforcing the
agreement up to the time
of the re-instatement. As stated somewhere
supra,
these amounts totaled R1, 577, 447.661.
[20.4] For instance,
in
Nkata v Firstrand Bank and Another 2016(4) S A 587 (CC)
at
paragraph [26] the Court had the following to say:
“
[26]
Fourth, it found that Ms Nkata did not have to intend to reinstate a
credit agreement. Still less did she have to signal to the
bank any
intention to do so.
This was
because reinstatement occurs by operation of the law if the consumer
as a fact makes payment as contemplated by section 129(3)
unless
reinstatement is prevented by virtue of section 129(4).
(My own
underlining)
[20.5] This paragraph
makes it very clear that an agreement between the credit grantor and
great receiver to reinstate a credit
agreement is not necessary to
reinstate a credit agreement. The reinstatement of any agreement
takes place automatically or by operation
of the law if the credit
receiver makes the payments as set out in section 129(3)(a) of the
NCA. The credit agreement can only be
reinstated if the credit
receiver purges his or her or its default. Simply put no
purging of a default or no payment in terms
of section 129(3)(a) of
the NCA no reinstatement of any credit agreement.
[20.6] Moreover, in the instant
matter the Mpofu’s are prevented by the provisions of s 129(4) the
NCA from reinstating the credit
agreement. The said section provides
get as follows:
“
129
4) A consumer may not reinstate a credit agreement after-
(a)
the sale of any property pursuant to
(i)
an attachment order; or
(ii)
surrender property in terms of
section 127.
(b)
the execution of any other court
order enforcing that agreement; or
(c)
the termination thereof in
accordance with section 123
.
[20.7] Accordingly,
the Bank’s instructions to its attorneys to cancel the sale in
execution and to reinstate the loan
agreement of the Mpofu’s did
not carry any weight and were of no use. This is because any
agreement between a credit receiver and
a credit grantor to reinstate
a credit agreement is unnecessary. The reinstatement of a credit
agreement takes place only after the
credit receiver has satisfied
the requirements of s 129(3)(a) of the NCA.
[21]
According to s 129(3) the Mpofu’s may only
resume possession of the subject
property that had been repossessed
by the credit provider, in other words the Bank, pursuant to an
attachment order, only after complying
with the provisions of section
129(3)(a) of the NCA. Possession in this instance means
possessio
longa manu.
[22]
The following two questions must be answered
by reference to the evidence of
the Bank and of the Mpofu’s.
[22.1]
Have the Mpofu’s satisfied the requirements of s 129 (3)(a)
of the NCA? and,
[22.2] Was
there a proper, effective, and lawful reinstatement of the Mpofu’s
credit agreement with
the Bank as envisaged by the s 129(3)(a) of the
NCA?
The answer to the second question
depends on the answer to the first one. If there was no satisfaction
of the first question the second
question does not even rise. In my
view, the credit agreement between the Bank on one side and the
Mpofu’s on the other was never
properly, completely, and
effectively re-instated by reason of the fact that the Mpofu’s
never complied with the requirements of
re-instatement of the credit
agreements as envisaged in s 129(3)(a) NCA. Furthermore, and this is
of paramount importance, nowhere
in their answering or particulars of
claim do the Mpofu’s allege that they have complied with the
requirements of s 129(3)(a) of
the NCA. It is for these two reasons
that I hold the view that the said credit agreement was never a
re-instated.
[23]
In addition, it also means that in terms of s
129(3)(b) of the NCA the Mpofu’s
did not resume possession of the
subject property that had been repossessed by the Bank pursuant to
the attachment order granted
by Murphy J on 19 January 2016.
[24]
As it will be shown here in below Mpofu’s had no
right to sell the subject property
to Extreme Way Togo. Extreme Way
Togo was therefore entitled to the refund of the amount of R 800,000
that it had deposited into
the mortgage bond account of the Mpofu’s
with the Bank.
[25]
As a consequence the conflicting Offer to Purchase
(the Second Sale Agreement) the
Mpofu’s, in contrast to the Court
Order, and in their continued capacity as owners of the subject
property, sold the property to
the Extreme Way Togo for R800,000. By
virtue of that Second Sale Agreement, Extreme Way Togo paid the said
sum of R800,000 into the
Mpofu’s loan account held by the Bank.
This payment was made by way of a direct electronic fund transfer.
The said amount was related
to the net amount or a portion thereof
payable in respect of the purchase price of the subject property.
[26]
Accordingly, at the core of the subject matter of
the dispute are the respective amounts
emanating from the First and
Second Sales Agreements, in other words, the amounts of R260,996.45
and R800,000.00. The Mpofu’s
claim is related to the amount of
R800,000.00 that was deposited by the Extreme Way Togo their loan
account and the Prime Portfolio’s
claim related to sum of R260,
997.45 and or damages against the Mpofu’s because of
mora
debitoris
.
[27]
The amount of R800,000 was subsequently paid to the attorneys of the
Bank to be held in trust in
terms of s 86(4) of the Legal Practice
Act 28 of 2014 (the LPA).
THE CASE OF
THE MPOFU’S
[28.1] The
Mpofu’s delivered an answering affidavit or their particulars of
claim in which they
abuse of the process of this Court
and more specifically interpleader proceedings by the Applicant and
in collusion with the Third
and Fourth Claimants to the extent that
the Second and Third Respondents will accept any claim to the monies
in question through
these proceedings”.
[28.2]
It is the Mpofu’s case that the amount of R800,000 paid into
their loan account held by the
Bank should never be the subject of
these interpleader proceedings except that “
the applicant
seeks to escape the consequences of the fraudulent mischief and
debiting of their account
done by it.”
[28.3] Mr
Mpofu states that he duly signed the Offer to Purchase the subject
property. This Offer
to Purchase had been drawn by the Extreme Way
Togo. It is attached to the founding declaration of facts as Annexure
“N3”. Mr
Mpofu states that he accepted to sell the subject
property to the Extreme Way Togo on, among others, the terms and
conditions fully
set out in the Offer to Purchase.
[28.4.1] Extreme Way
Togo would pay the sum of R2million into the trust account of Fox and
Barrat Attorneys within seven
(7) days of the acceptance of the Offer
to Purchase by Mr Mpofu.
[28.4.2] that the
Extreme Way Togo pays a further sum of R1.6 million to be transferred
to Pandor attorneys
and be held in an interest-bearing
account within thirty business days.
[28.4.3] the Extreme
Way Togo pays to him a further sum of R1.2 million upon signature of
the transfer documents.
[29.1] Extreme
Way Togo has filed Interpleader Particulars of Claim. This
Interpleader Particulars
of Claim was signed on 25 March 2020 but
only served on the Bank’s attorneys on 13 May 2020. It is not clear
whether the First
and Second Claimants had sight of the contents of
the said interpleader particulars of claim. One can only guess that
they were not
aware of it because nowhere in their answering
affidavit or particulars of claim, which was signed on 8 July 2020,
did the Mpofu’s
comment on the allegations contained in the
interpleader particulars of claim of Extreme Way Togo.
[29.2] The
Mpofu’s did not respond to the following allegations made by
Extreme Way Togo.
“
2.7.12]
In terms of the re-instatement of the said Claimants loan account
they were required to pay the Applicant
the arrears
and related default charges and costs in the amount of R1, 577,
447.61.
2.7.13 By letter dated the 3rd
of October 2019, a copy of which is Annexure “YT10” to the
founding declaration of facts, the said
claimants were advised of a
possible claim for damages by the Third Claimant.
2.8 At all material times, on
31 January 2019, the said claimants were aware of the factsand
circumstances as described in the preceding
subparagraph”.
[29.3]
Extreme Way Togo then contends
that at the conclusion of the Second
Sale agreement on 31 January
2019, the Mpofu’s did not disclose the facts and circumstances
described in subparagraph
2.7 of Extreme Way
Togo’s particulars of claim or alternatively, while they were
obliged to do so, the Mpofu’s deliberately remained
silent about
such facts and circumstances at the time of the conclusion of the
Second Sale Agreement.
[29.4]
Even at the time Extreme Way Togo
made payment of the sum of R800,000
into their loan account on 11
February 2019, the Mpofu’s still did not disclose to Extreme Way
Togo the facts and circumstances
described in subparagraph 2.7 of
their interpleader particulars of claim. They remained silent.
[29.5]
The Mpofu’s had a duty, at the
material time of the conclusion
of the Second Sale Agreement, to
disclose all facts and circumstances set out in subparagraph 2.7 of
their interpleader
particulars of claim of the
Extreme Way Togo.
[29.6]
It is Extreme Way Togo’s case that the Mpofu’s should have, or
ought to have known, that
the Extreme Way Togo would not have
concluded the Second Sale Agreement had the Mpofu’s disclosed to
them all such facts and circumstances
as were necessary and relevant
to enable them to make an informed decision before concluding the
Second Sale Agreement. According
to them the Mpofu’s acted mala
fide in their failure to disclose those facts.
[30]
It is furthermore Extreme Way Togo’s case that the
non-disclosure
of the material facts and circumstances was material to the extent
that it was induced by such non-disclosure of material
facts and
circumstances to conclude the Second Sale Agreement when it would
never have concluded the said Second Sale Agreement if
the relevant
facts and circumstances had been disclosed to the Fourth Claimant.
The payment of R800, 800.00 by them into the Mpofu’s
loan account
would not have been made had they been provided with all the relevant
material facts.
[31]
According to its testimony, Extreme Way Togo only became
aware of
such facts and circumstances after 11 February 2019. It testified
furthermore that in the premises the Mpofu’s were not
entitled to
rely on the terms and conditions set out in the Second Sale Agreement
and equally that they are not entitled to any part
of the R800, 000.
00 and finally that Extreme Way Togo is entitled to the refund of the
said sum of R800, 000.00.
[32]
The Mpofu’s have not dealt with the afore going allegations
made by
Extreme Way Togo in their particulars of claim. Besides, although
they had delivered their answering affidavit, there was
no appearance
for them on 18th March 2021 when this matter came before Court. The
Bank did not ask for an order in terms of Rule
58(5) of the Uniform
Rules of Court even though the Mpofu’s had delivered their
particulars of claim but had failed to appear before
court on 18
March 2021. Nothing in the subrule suggests that this court is at
liberty to make such an order
mero motu
. This issue never came
up for consideration on 18 March 2021. Accordingly, the court had to
deal with what was before it. In my view,
this point should have been
raised by the Bank and not by Extreme Way Togo as it does not assist
Extreme Way Togo’s case. On this
basis alone Extreme Way Togo might
not have been able to cancel the Second Sale Agreement. Be that as it
may that point is worth
noting for it assists this court to establish
the honesty of the Mpofu’s to fulfill their obligations arising
from the Second Sale
Agreement with the Fourth Claimant; it helps
this Court to determine furthermore the honesty of the First and
Second Claimant whether
they would have been able, through the Second
Sale Agreement, to fulfill their obligations to the Bank.
[33]
The other aspect that Extreme Way Togo had raised in the Second
Sale
Agreement was the fact that the amount of R3, 600, 000.00, which was
the amount at which the Mpofu’s had sold the subject
property to
Extreme Way Togo, was far less than the amount owing by the Mpofu’s
to the to the Bank in terms of the loan agreement.
This point should
have been raised by the Bank and not by Extreme Way Togo for, in my
view, it does not in any way assist Extreme
Way Togo 's case.
[34]
In the circumstances I found that:
[34.1]
The First and Second Claimants had entered into the Second Sale
Agreement
with the Fourth Claimant.
[34.2]
The Fourth Claimant had, for unknown reasons and under unclear
circumstances,
deposited a sum of R800, 000. 00 into the First and
Second Claimants’ loan account with the Applicant.
[34.3]
That when it concluded the Second Sale Agreement with the First
Claimants
and paid the sum of R800, 000.00 into the loan account of
the First and Second Claimant, the Fourth claimant had not been
furnished,
by the First and Second Claimants, with all the relevant
and material details to enable Extreme Way Togo to make an informed
decision
before concluding the Second Sale Agreement and paying
the said sum of R800, 000.00.
[34.4]
That Extreme Way Togo was misled into concluding the Second Sale
Agreement
and into paying the said amount of R800, 000.00 by the
Mpofu’s failure to disclose to them all the material facts and
circumstances.
[34.5]
That the first claimant was indeed entitled to cancel the Second Sale
Agreement and to reclaim the refund of the amount of R800, 000.00.
[34.6]
That neither the Bank was, nor the Mpofu’s
were, entitled to the sum of R800,000.00.
[35.7]
That the amount of R800, 000.00 ought to be
refunded to Extreme Way Togo
.
P
M MABUSE
JUDGE OF THE
HIGH COURT
Appearances
Counsel for e
Applicant:
Adv.
D J Van Heerden
Instructed by
Hannes
Gouws & Partners Inc:
Counsel For the First and Second
Claimants:
No Appearance
Matter Heard on
9
March 2021
Reasons furnished
on
15
March 2022.
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