Case Law[2024] ZAWCHC 54South Africa
Red Tree Capital (Pty) Ltd v Oosthuizen (20121/2021) [2024] ZAWCHC 54 (19 February 2024)
Judgment
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# South Africa: Western Cape High Court, Cape Town
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## Red Tree Capital (Pty) Ltd v Oosthuizen (20121/2021) [2024] ZAWCHC 54 (19 February 2024)
Red Tree Capital (Pty) Ltd v Oosthuizen (20121/2021) [2024] ZAWCHC 54 (19 February 2024)
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sino date 19 February 2024
IN
THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA
WESTERN
CAPE DIVISION,
CAPE
TOWN
Case
No: 20121/2021
In
the matter between:
RED
TREE CAPITAL (PTY) LTD
Plaintiff
/ Respondent
and
KINNEY
OOSTHUIZEN
Defendant
/ Applicant
JUDGMENT
ANDREWS,
AJ
Introduction
[1]
This is opposed Rule 33(4) application in terms of which the
Applicant seeks an order separating
the issues identified in prayer 1
of the Notice of Motion in the following terms:
(a) That the
following issues be heard
in initio
and that all other issues
stand over for later determination:
(i)
Whether the agreements relied upon demonstrate
benefit to Defendant,
as required by CPA Regulation 5(1);
(ii)
If not, whether the agreements are void by reason of
their
contravening CPA Regulation 5(1);
(iii)
Alternatively, whether Defendant duly cancelled the agreements,
exercising the right she has under Section 14(2) read with 14(3) of
the CPA.
Factual
Background
[2]
According
to the Particulars of Claim, the Plaintiff instituted action against
the Defendant pursuant to having entered into two
Master Rental
Agreements on or about 18 April 2019 and 5 June 2019 respectively.
[1]
The agreements provide for the rental of the equipment set out in
paragraph 6.5 of the Particulars of Claim for a sixty (60) month
period.
[2]
[3]
On or about 25 February 2019 and 5 June 2019 respectively, the
Defendant signed two Consumer Confirmation
Letters. The goods were
duly delivered to the Defendant on or about 19 April 2019 and 6 June
respectively. On or about 20 April
2021, the Defendant addressed a
letter to the Plaintiff which purported to terminate the agreements
as envisaged under
section 14(2)(b)(ii)
of the
Consumer Protection
Act 68 of 2008
. The agreements were accordingly terminated 19 May
2021.
[4]
The Plaintiff alleges that in breach of the agreements, the
Defendant failed to immediately return
the goods to the Plaintiff
pursuant to the termination as certain goods were only returned on or
about 30 July 2021. It is alleged
that as a result of the Defendant’s
holding over of the said goods for the period 19 May 2021 to 30 July
2021, the Plaintiff
has suffered damages which are equal to the
market rental value of the goods in the amount of R44 342.99
being an equivalent
to the combined monthly rentals payable in terms
of the agreements for the period 19 May 2021 to 30 July 2021.
[5]
The Plaintiff’s Second Claim against the Defendant is as
a consequence of the termination.
The Plaintiff alleges that the
Defendant is liable to the Plaintiff for the payment of the Net
Present Value at the Prime Interest
Rate of the rentals which would
have been payable by the Defendant had the agreements continued until
their expiry in the amounts
of R576 951 and R124 348.65
respectively. The Plaintiff furthermore alleges that the Defendant is
indebted to it in the
total amount of R701 300.59.
[6]
The Plaintiff’s Third Claim also flows from as a
consequence of the termination in terms
of which the Plaintiff
alleges that the Defendant is liable to make payment to the Plaintiff
of a reasonable cancellation penalty.
In this regard, the Plaintiff
avers that the unexpired rental periods under the agreements were 34
and 36 months respectively.
The Plaintiff asserts that the reasonable
cancellation penalty in respect of the agreements is equal to three
months’ rental
in the sum of R57 276.36.
[7]
On 25 August 2021 and 13 October 2021 respectively, the
Plaintiff sold the goods procured to Integro
and WeBuyCopiers
respectively, for an amount of R50 000 and R400 respectively.
The Plaintiff tendered the set-off of these
amounts received against
the damages that it allegedly suffered leaving a remaining amount of
R744 959.94 still due owing
and payable by the Defendant.
[8]
Alternatively, the Plaintiff alleges that the Defendant has
been enriched at the Plaintiff’s
expense in the amount of
R744 959.94 due to the Plaintiff’s performance in terms of
the allegedly void agreements.
Principal
Submissions by the Defendant
[9]
It is the Defendant’s contention that the issues
identified in the Notice of Motion ought
to be decided
in initio.
In augmentation thereof, the Defendant submitted that the terms of
the agreement as set out in Annexure “A” are a clear
acknowledgement that the terms of the CPA apply, which provides an
assurance to the consumer with whom the agreement is entered
that the
consumer is afforded the protection measures promulgated by the Act,
and the Regulations. Specific reference to the provisions
of
Sections
14(2)(b)
and
14
(3) of the CPA were made.
[10]
The
Defendant highlighted that the two agreements on which the
Plaintiff relies, are for a period in excess of 24 (twenty-four)
months
which is contrary to the provisions of
Regulation 5(1)
of the
CPA, that states that the maximum period of a fixed term consumer
agreement is 24 months from date of signature, unless
such longer
period is expressly agreed with the consumer and the supplier can
show a demonstrable benefit to the consumer. It was
contended that
the Plaintiff failed to specifically aver that the agreements have
any demonstrable benefit to the consumer. It
is the Defendant’s
contention that there are not such benefits. The Defendant argued
this this would render the agreements
unlawful and void as it is
contrary to the provisions contained in
Regulation 5(1).
[11]
The
Defendant further asserts that it is in any event entitled to
cancel the agreements on 20 days’ notice, which cancellation
was duly effected. According to the Defendant all amounts owing up to
the date of cancellations were paid. In addition, the Defendant
avers
that the agreements are unlawful and void and that the Plaintiff’s
claim, being for the enforcement of such unlawful
and void
agreements, falls to be dismissed. In the alternative it is contended
that the Defendant is entitled to exercise her right
in terms of
Section 15
of the CPA and cancelled the agreements in the exercise of
such rights and paid all amounts owed by her up to date of
cancellation.
[12]
According
to the Defendant once the Reply to the Request for Further
Particulars are received the only issue outstanding will be whether
the demonstrable benefits which Plaintiff avers exist are proved. On
this issue the Defendant is of the view that the parties would
be
able to agree on the following common cause facts
inter alia
:
(a) The value of
the monthly payments;
(b) The price at
which the goods once repossessed were sold by Plaintiff;
(c) The
Defendant will be prepared to admit the allegations in paragraphs 42
and 43 of the Particulars of Claim;
(d) The exact
nature of the demonstrable benefit to the consumer on which Plaintiff
relies for purposes of CPA Regulation
5(1).
[13]
The Defendant
submitted that the reasoning applied in
Basson
v Chilwan and Others
[3]
can be of
assistance to the matter
in
casu
even
though it applies to a restraint of trade matter. In this regard it
was argued that it is for the court to decide what is reasonable.
[14]
It
was further argued that the holding over amount cannot constitute
an enrichment claim and as such it was submitted that the Plaintiff
has not discharged the onus of proving that the separation is not
convenient.
[15]
Lastly,
the Defendant contended that the separation of issues will be
in the interest of the parties and reduce costs significantly and
curtail the length of the trial which could be dealt with as a matter
of legal argument only without requiring evidence.
Principal
Submissions by the Plaintiff
[16]
The
Plaintiff contended that the Defendant is not entitled to a
separation of the identified issues for the following reasons that:
(a)
the Defendant wishes to separate issues for determination by the
Court which are already common cause;
(b)
the proposed separation is not convenient to either of the parties,
or to the Court.
[17]
In
amplification it was submitted that the Defendant cannot allege
that the agreements did not present a financial benefit to her as
contemplated under Regulation 5 as the Defendant in her Plea
expressly admits that the agreements were concluded. Moreover, the
Plaintiff set out averments in the Particulars of Claim to
demonstrate what the rental payments due by the Defendant would have
been, had the agreements endured for 24 months rather than 60 months.
It was furthermore contended that the computation set out
in “D2”
to the Particulars of Claim do not appear to have been disputed by
the Defendant and that its exchange is expressly
admitted in the
Plea.
[18]
Additionally,
it was contended that there is no need to separate to
determine whether the agreements were cancelled as it is common cause
that
the agreements were cancelled by the Defendant as contemplated
under section 14(2) read with section 14(3) of the CPA.
[19]
The
Plaintiff furthermore submitted that the separation proposed by
the Defendant will not result in an expeditious resolution of this
action. In this regard, it was contended that the Plaintiff has an
alternative enrichment claim in the event of a finding that
the
agreements are void. In addition, the Plaintiff holds the view that
the evidence to be led in the separate trials will overlap
significantly insofar as it pertains to the agreements, their terms,
the parties’ intentions, the goods supplied by the Plaintiff
to
the Defendant and the Defendant’s use thereof.
[20]
It
was argued that the proceedings will as a result not be shortened.
Lastly, the Plaintiff contended that the possibility exists of
an
appeal against the findings in the separation hearing, which will
potentially exacerbate the delay. The Plaintiff requested
the court
to consider the potential prejudice and as such, it was submitted,
that the proposed separation of the issues is not
convenient.
Legal
Principles
[21]
Rule 33 (4), provides that:
‘
If,
in any pending action, it appears to the court mero motu that there
is a question of law or fact which may conveniently be decided
either
before any evidence is led or separately from any other question, the
court may make an order directing the disposal of
such question in
such manner as it may deem fit and may order that all further
proceedings be stayed until such question has been
disposed of, and
the court shall on the application of any party make such order
unless it appears that the question cannot conveniently
be decided
separately.’
[22]
In
Rauff
v Standard Bank Properties
[4]
Flemming DJP
stated
the following:
‘
The
entitlement to seek the separation of issues was created in the Court
Rules so that an alleged lacuna in the plaintiff’s
case or an
answer to the case can be tested; or simply so that a factual issue
can be determined which can give direction to the
rest of the case
and in particular to obviate a parcel of evidence. The purpose is to
determine the fate of the plaintiff’s
claim (or one of the
claims) without the costs and delays of a full trial. Proper handling
of litigation – and accordingly
professional handling of
litigation – requires that this avenue be explored to the
advantage of the own client, the flow
of Court hearings and even of
the other client.’
[23]
In
Consolidated News Agencies (Pty) Ltd (in liquidation) v Mobile
Telephone Networks (Pty) Ltd and Another
[5]
,
it was held that:
‘
Piecemeal
litigation is not to be encouraged. Sometimes it is desirable to have
a single issue decided separately, either by way
of the stated case
or otherwise. If a decision on the discrete issue disposes of a major
port part of a case, or will in some way
lead to expedition it might
well be desirable to have that issue decided first. This court has
warned that in many cases, once
properly considered, issues initially
thought to be discrete are found to be inextricably linked. And even
where the issues are
discrete, the expeditious disposal of the
litigation is often best served by ventilating all the issues at one
hearing. A trial
court must be satisfied that it is convenient and
proper to try an issue separately.’
[6]
[24]
Regulation
5 of the CPA deals with the maximum duration for
fixed-term Consumer Agreement, states as follows:
‘
(1)
For the purposes of section 14(4)(a) of the Act, the maximum period
of
a fixed-term
consumer agreement is 24 months from the date of signature
by the consumer
–
(a)
Unless such longer period is expressly agreed with the consumer
and the supplier can show a demonstrable financial benefit to the
consume…’
[25]
Section
14 (2) of the CPA deals with the expiry and renewal of
fixed-term agreements states as follows:
‘
…
(2)
If a consumer agreement is for a fixed term –
(a)
that term must not exceed the
maximum period, if any, prescribed
in
terms of subsection (4) with respect to that category of
consumer agreement;
…
(3)
Upon cancellation of a consumer agreement as contemplated in
subsection (1)(b) –
(a)
the consumer remains liable to
the supplier for any amounts owed
to the supplier in terms of that agreement up to the date of
cancellation; and
(b)
the supplier –
(i)
may impose a reasonable
cancellation penalty with respect to any
goods
supplied, services provided, or discounts granted,
to the consumer in contemplation of the agreement
enduring for
its intended fixed term, if any; and
(ii)
must credit the consumer with
any amount that remains
the property of the consumer as of the date of cancellation
as
prescribed in terms of subsection (4).
(4)
The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, prescribe –
(a)
the maximum duration for fixed-term consumer agreements,
generally or
for specified categories of such agreements;
…’
Issues
not in dispute
[26]
The
following issues appear to not be in dispute between the parties,
namely:
(a)
the conclusion of the two agreements, annexed to the
Particulars of Claim marked “B1” and “B2”;
(b)
the agreements provided for the rental of the equipment set out in
paragraph 6.5 of the Particulars of Claim for a period
of sixty (60)
months;
(c)
the two agreements on which the Plaintiff in the main action
constitute transactions as defined by
Section 1
of the
Consumer
Protection Act
(“the CPA”) and were fixed term agreements
as contemplated in
Section 14
of the CPA;
(d)
the CPA Regulations published in the Government Notice 293 gazetted
in April 2011 (“the CPA Regulations”)
are applicable and
(e)
the Defendant cancelled the agreement.
Issues
for determination
[27]
The
crisp issue for determination is whether the identified issues
should be decided
in initio.
Onus
[28]
It
is trite that a party who opposes an application for separation
made bears the onus to satisfy the court that the questions sought
to
be separated cannot conveniently be decided separately and,
accordingly, that the application should not be granted.
Discussion
[29]
The Defendant
seeks an order separating the issues as identified in the Notice of
Motion. It is apparent that the parties
in both Agreements
agreed that the term of the agreement exceeded 24 months, and as such
constituted a financial benefit to the
Defendant.
[7]
Regulation 5 of the CPA applies to the transaction, as set out above
which specifically deals with the maximum duration for fixed-term
consumer agreements and unequivocally states that a longer period is
to be expressly agreed upon and the supplier is to show a
demonstrable financial benefit.
[30]
The
Defendant argued that if the demonstrable benefit to the consumer
existed as contemplated in Regulation 5(1), the Particulars of
Claim
should have pleaded that such benefit existed and what such benefit
was. In this regard, it is the Defendant’s contention
that
Uniform Rule 18(4) is clear in that Particulars of Claim must contain
a clear and concise statement of the material facts
constituting the
claim. The Plaintiff contended that the letter referred to as
Annexure “D2” has been admitted by the
Defendant in her
plea and in particular, the benefit is specified as the lower monthly
instalment due to the extended period.
[31]
The
Plaintiff contended that separation is not convenient for the
following reasons:
(a)
It will not result in an expeditious resolution of this action. In
amplification it was mooted that even if the agreements
are void, the
Plaintiff’s alternative claim will remain;
(b)
The cause of action will still need to be ventilated in a trial in
due course. In augmentation of this submission it was
submitted that
the evidence to be led in the separate trials will overlap
significantly in terms of the parties’ intentions,
the goods
supplied by the Plaintiff to the Defendant, and the Defendant’s
use thereof will have to be canvassed more than
once;
(c)
There would be an unnecessary duplication of efforts, which would
only serve to escalate the parties’ legal
costs and
unnecessarily take up court time;
(d)
If, on the premise that the issues to be separated are crisp as
contended by the Defendant, it could be canvassed at the
main hearing
together with the balance of the action;
(e)
It is contended that whilst the Defendant accepts that her agreement
constituted a demonstrable benefit, the defence is
centred around
this and could be canvassed together at the main hearing without it
being done in a fragmentary fashion;
(f)
A separation will not shorten proceedings and will ultimately have
the effect of splintering the matter into
at least 3 hearings
comprising of
inter alia
, the applicability of the CPA, unjust
enrichment and quantum;
(g)
The possibility of an appeal may ensue, which may not serve to
curtail the action and
(h)
The parties as well as the court will suffer prejudice.
[32]
The accepted legal
principle is that a litigant is required to plead material facts that
are necessary to support his right to judgment.
It is trite that a
Defendant must know the case he needs to meet and plead to it. The
matter of
McKenzie
v Farmers’ Co-operative Meat Industries Ltd
[8]
clearly defined
meaning of a “
cause
of action”
.
‘…
every
fact which it would be necessary for the plaintiff to prove, if
traversed, in order to support his right to judgment of the
court. It
doe[s] not comprise every piece of evidence which is necessary to
prove its fact, but every fact which is necessary to
prove.’
[33]
The Defendant is
essentially requesting the court to apply the test akin to that on an
Exception. In this regard the court dealing
with the separation would
have to determine whether on all possible readings of the facts, no
cause of action may be made out.
The Defendant would therefore have
to satisfy the court that the conclusion of law from which the
Plaintiff contends cannot be
supported on every interpretation that
can be put upon the facts in much the same way as the court would
have if this aspect was
raised by way of Exception.
[9]
It has been held that to the extent that the procedure envisaged by
the subrule and the procedure of Exceptions may overlap, it
is not
contemplated that questions of law arising from the pleadings and
capable of being resolved on Exception should be the subject
of the
more cumbersome procedure of an application under this subrule.
[10]
[34]
The
question that calls to be answered is whether it would be
convenient to deal with the issues identified in the separation
order;
more particularly, the
lacuna
identified by the
Defendant in the Plaintiff’s case. The purpose of this
subrule has been aptly crystallised as follows:
‘…
is to confer on the
court the power of shortening the duration or facilitating the final
determination of actions, the court has
a wide discretion under the
subrule and it can decide any question of law or fact separately from
any other question in the dispute
in a case if it is convenient to do
so. There is no room in the rule for a court, on ordering of
separation of issues, to make
an order in respect of what evidence
may or may not be relevant. The fashioning of an order assists in
defining the precise ambit
of the enquiry to be undertaken. Unless an
order is made, the court is required to deal with the action as a
whole.’
[11]
[35]
The procedure
envisages the convenient and expeditious disposal of litigation. The
aspect of convenience consists of many layers,
including
inter
alia
appropriateness
and fairness.
[12]
It is
therefore incumbent on the court to consider the nature and extent of
the advantages and disadvantages which would
flow from the granting
of the order sought. In addition, the court is to consider whether or
not a preliminary hearing for the
separate decision of specified
issues will materially shorten the proceedings.
[36]
This
court is mindful that even if the application were to be
granted, which may result in curtailing days of evidence in court,
there
may be other delays before a final decision is ultimately
reached which includes but are not limited to the following
scenarios,
namely; the interlude between the hearing of the
separation and the commencement of the main trial. This will no doubt
also have
cost implications. Moreover, there is the likelihood that
an appeal against the separated issues may ensue, which will
exacerbate
the delay.
[37]
Of
seminal importance is the potential overlapping of evidence
required to prove issues in the separation and that of the remaining
issues for the trial hearing. Witnesses may have to be recalled to
cover issue which they had already testified about, resulting
in
duplication of evidence and again cost implications as well as the
potential of conflicting findings of facts and credibility
findings.
[38]
In
this matter, it is manifest the most of the issues are common
cause, more especially the issues identified in paragraphs 1.1 and
1.3 of the Notice of Motion. It appears that the main issue in
contention is rooted in whether the Plaintiff has properly pleaded
a
cause of action based on the CPA on which reliance is placed. This
aspect in my view, could have been dealt with by way
of exception as
it is trite that t
he purpose of an exception is to
raise a substantive question of law which may have the effect of
settling the dispute between the
parties.
[39]
I am furthermore of the view that even if the
court were to find that the agreements are void by virtue of
contravening CPA Regulation
5(1), (I make no finding in this regard),
the claim for damages suffered as a result of the holding over of the
goods for the period
19 May 2021 to 30 July 2021, cannot be ignored
as well as the penalty which the termination may have attracted.
I
am mindful not to make a pronouncement on what evidence may or may
not be relevant, and I make no such finding(s) in this regard.
[40]
These
aspects will need to be ventilated at a trial in due course. It is
not for this court to decide whether, for example, the
holding over
amounts to an unjust enrichment claim, neither can this court
determine that the only issues pertaining to the penalty
would be the
reasonableness thereof. To suggest that the Plaintiff should deal
with this issue in the Magistrates Court would in
my view not curtail
proceedings, especially as piecemeal litigation is not encouraged.
Furthermore, the possibility exists that
the issues are inextricably
linked necessitating the same witnesses to be called to testify. The
mere fact that the quantum for
certain claims falls within the
jurisdiction of the Magistrates Court does not prevent the High Court
from making an appropriate
costs order on the appropriate Magistrates
Court tariff. The Defendant in any event makes the following
submission ‘
[t]he
fact that, subsequent to retaking possession of their goods,
Plaintiff sold the goods for an amount of R50 400 may well
constitute an important factor in assessing the reasonableness of the
penalty.’
[13]
This
in and of itself is suggestive that there is a triable issue and as
such, separation may prove to not be dispositive of the
matter in its
entirety.
Conclusion
[41]
This court heeds
the caution as expressed in
Consolidated
News Agencies (Pty) Ltd
(supra)
‘that in many cases, once properly considered, issues initially
thought to be discrete are found to be inextricably
linked. And even
where the issues are discrete, the expeditious disposal of the
litigation is often best served by ventilating
all issues at one
hearing.’
[14]
[42]
I
am therefore satisfied that the Plaintiff has sufficiently placed
cogent facts before this court to show that separation would be
inconvenient. Consequently, in the exercise of this court’s
wide discretion in matters of this nature, the application falls
to
be dismissed.
Costs
[43]
The
Plaintiff argued that the application was blatantly stillborn
from the outset and is tantamount to a delay tactic which Plaintiff
likened to textbook Stalingrad litigation, justifying a punitive cost
order. The Plaintiff contended that paragraph 18 of the agreements
provides for the payment of costs on an attorney and client scale. In
light of the fact that the agreements are common cause, the
Plaintiff
seeks an order of costs on the scale agreed to between the parties.
It was placed on record that Counsel for the Defendant
is acting
pro
amico.
[44]
It has been held
that ‘
a
party who failed to raise an exception at the stage when he could
have done so and at the trial invokes the procedure under this
subrule may be mulcted for costs.’
[15]
[45]
Taking into consideration that the crisp issues which Defendant
contended ought to be dealt with
in initio
, will now be dealt
with in the hearing of this action in due course; the trial court
will best be placed with making a determination
as to whether the
issues raised are indeed inextricably linked with the evidence
required to prove any of the remaining issues.
Thus, it is my
considered view that a cost order at this stage will be premature.
[46]
Therefore, in the exercise of my judicial discretion, I am of the
view that the issue of costs should stand over for later
determination.
Order:
[47]
In the result, the Court, after hearing the
submission on behalf of the respective
parties and having considered
the documents filed on record makes the following orders:
(a)
The Application is dismissed.
(b)
Costs are to stand over for later determination.
ANDREWS,
AJ
Acting
Judge of the High Court, Western Cape Division
Appearances
For
the Plaintiff / Respondent:
Advocate
L Van Zyl
Instructed
by:
Vanderspuy,
Cape Town
For
the Defendant / Applicant:
Advocate
A C Oosthuizen S.C.
Instructed
by:
Schnetlers
Inc.
Date
of Hearing:
02
February 2024
Date
of Judgment:
19
February 2024
NB:
The judgment is delivered by electronic submission to the parties and
their legal representatives.
[1]
Index Pleadings: Particulars of Claim, paras 4 and 5, page 4; See
also Annexures “B1” and “B2” attached
to the
Particulars of Claim.
[2]
Index Pleadings: Particulars of Claim, para 6.5, page 5
[3]
[1993] ZASCA 61
;
1993 (3) SA 742
‘
The
parties’ own views, as reflected in the agreement, as to what
is reasonable can never be decisive. Firstly, the reasonableness
of
the restraint is judged only after consideration by a court on the
basis of factors which might not necessarily have been
present to
the minds of the parties. Secondly, the content of the agreement
cannot itself be the exclusive measure of what is
reasonable because
that would result in the propriety of the agreement being tested
against itself.’
[4]
2002 (6) SA 693
(W) at 703.
[5]
[2009] ZASCA 130
;
[2010] 2 All SA 9
(SCA), paras 89 - 90.
[6]
See also
Edward
L Bateman Ltd v C A Brand Projects (Pty) Ltd
1995
(4) SA 128C
– D;
Berman
& Fialkov v Lumb
2003 (2) SA 674
;
Denel
(Edms) Bpk v Vorster
2004
(4) SA 481
(SCA) at 485A – B where the following was stated:
‘
In many cases,
once properly considered, the issues will be found to be
inextricably linked, even though, as first sight, they
might appear
to be discrete. And even where the issues are discrete, the
expeditious disposal of the litigation is often best
served by
ventilating all the issues at one hearing, particularly where there
is more than one issue that might be readily dispositive
of the
matter. It is only after careful thought has been given to the
anticipated course of the litigation as a whole that it
will be
possible properly to determine whether it is convenient to try an
issue separately.’
[7]
Clause 2.3 “
The
Parties agree that the Initial Rental Period of the Agreement shall
exceed a fixed term of 24 (twenty-four) months in the
circumstances
where the rental amount has been calculated based on your
affordability and the economic life of the Goods rented
is of a
financial benefit to you and we are able to demonstrate this should
you so request.”
[8]
McKenzie
v Farmers’ Co-operative Meat Industries Ltd
1922
AD 16
at 23
.
[9]
Theunissen
v Transvaalse Lewende Hawe Koop Beperk
1988
(2) SA 493
(A);
Lewis
v Oneanate (Pty) Ltd and Another
[1992] ZASCA 174
;
1992 (4) SA 811
(A) at 817;
TSI
Communications CC v Omega M Projects
(2022/13169)
[2023] ZAGPJHC 1081 (27 September 2023) at paras 3 – 4;
H
v Fetal Assessment Centre
2015 (2) SA 93
(CC) at 199B
‘
The
test on an exception is whether, on all possible readings of the
facts, no cause of action may be made out. It is for the
excipient
to satisfy the court that the conclusion of law from which the
plaintiff contends cannot be supported on every interpretation
that
can be put upon the facts.’
[10]
Superior Court Practice, Vol 2, Uniform Rules of Court: Rule 33,
[SERVICE 20, 2022], D1-437.
[11]
Superior Court Practice, Volume 2, Uniform Rules of Court: Rule 33
[Service 20, 2022] D1-440.
[12]
Gometis
(Pty) Ltd v Fountainhead Property Trust and Others
(2021/16959)
[2022] ZAGPJHC 487 (27 July 2022).
[13]
Defendant’s Heads of Argument, para 2.
[14]
Para 91.
[15]
Superior Court Practice, Vol 2, Uniform Rules of Court: Rule 33, D1
-437.
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