Case Law[2023] ZAWCHC 226South Africa
Robert Ross Demolishers (Pty) Ltd v All Persons Listed on "RJR1" Portion 20 of Farm 7787 Cape Division and Others (16136/2012) [2023] ZAWCHC 226; [2023] 4 All SA 521 (WCC) (28 August 2023)
Judgment
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# South Africa: Western Cape High Court, Cape Town
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## Robert Ross Demolishers (Pty) Ltd v All Persons Listed on "RJR1" Portion 20 of Farm 7787 Cape Division and Others (16136/2012) [2023] ZAWCHC 226; [2023] 4 All SA 521 (WCC) (28 August 2023)
Robert Ross Demolishers (Pty) Ltd v All Persons Listed on "RJR1" Portion 20 of Farm 7787 Cape Division and Others (16136/2012) [2023] ZAWCHC 226; [2023] 4 All SA 521 (WCC) (28 August 2023)
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sino date 28 August 2023
IN
THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA
(WESTERN
CAPE DIVISION, CAPE TOWN)
Case
No: 16136/2012
In
the matter between:
ROBERT
ROSS DEMOLISHERS (PTY) LTD
Applicant
vs
ALL
PERSONS LISTED ON "RJR1" PORTION 20
First
Respondent
OF
FARM 7787 CAPE DIVISION
THE
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
Second
Respondent
MINISTER
OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
Third
Respondent
MINISTER
OF PUBLIC WORKS
Fourth
Respondent
MINISTER
OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND
Fifth
Respondent
LAND
REFORM
MINISTER
OF HUMAN SETTLEMENT IN THE
Sixth
Respondent
WESTERN
CAPE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
MINISTER
OF HUMAN SETTLEMENT IN THE
Seventh
Respondent
WESTERN
CAPE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
THE
NATIONAL MINISTER OF POLICE
Eighth
Respondent
THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF
Ninth
Respondent
SOUTH
AFRICA
JUDGMENT
DELIVERED ELECTRONICALLY ON: 28 AUGUST 2023
MANTAME
J
Introduction
[1]
This is an application in terms of
Rule 28(4) of the Uniform Rules of
Court for leave to amend the applicant's notice of motion in the main
application
("eviction application'?
by deleting certain
paragraphs and substituting them with the paragraphs in the notice in
terms of Rule 28 of the Uniform Rules
of Court. The eighth respondent
opposed this application for amendment on the basis that the
applicant cannot be allowed by this
Court to introduce a number of
claims and prayers against it by means of a declaratory in relation
to events which occurred more
than a decade ago, i.e. 2012. Amongst
other objections, it was said such claims have prescribed. Further
respondents did not oppose
this application.
Brief
History
[2]
On 20 August 2012, the applicant launched
an application for eviction
of the first respondents who invaded its property, known as Portion
20 of Farm 7787, Phillipi Cape
Division
("the property').
The City of Cape Town
("the City')
was cited as the
second respondent in the normal course. At that stage, there were two
(2) respondents in the main application.
[3]
After the first respondents opposed
the main application, this Court
handed down an order on 26 November 2012 in the eviction application
and a similar application,
brought by Lyton Props Twelve CC
("Lyton
Props")
in which the applicant was the third respondent, the
City was the fourth respondent, and Ross and Sons (Pty) Ltd t/a Ross
Demolishers
was the second respondent. The order directed the City
and the applicants (in both applications) to file reports under oath
by
25 January 2013, dealing with (a) how they have "meaningfully
and reasonably" engaged on whether it was possible for the
City
to (i) lease the properties pending the provision of alternative
accommodation to occupiers, and if not, why not; and / or
(ii)
purchase either or both of the properties, and if not, why not; and /
or (iii) take the steps set out in Section 2.7 of Vol.
4, part 2 of
the National Housing Code, 2009 to identify and acquire land for the
relocation of the persons making up the first
respondents, and if
not, why not; and / or (iv) take steps to expropriate either or both
of the properties, and if not, why not.
[4]
The City delivered its compliance affidavit
by 25 January 2013, and
the applicant filed its compliance affidavit on 1 February 2013. In
its affidavit, the applicant stated
that it had two (2) suggestions
which it wished the parties to explore, i.e. (a) the purchase of the
land by the second respondent;
or (b) the lease [of] the land from
the applicant by the City.
[5]
As contemplated by the court
order of 26 November 2012, the applicant
filed an affidavit in response to the City's compliance affidavit in
April 2013 and the
first respondents likewise. The City delivered its
response to these affidavits at the end of April 2013.
[6]
On 3 June 2013, this Court handed
down an order in both cases in
which it joined certain national and provincial Ministers, i.e. the
national Minister of Human Settlements;
the national Minister of
Public Works, the national Minister of Rural Development and Land
Reform; the Western Cape Provincial
Minister for Human Settlements;
and the Western Cape Provincial Minister of Public Works "for
purposes of providing the reports
referred to in paragraphs 3 and 4
[of the order] and providing the Court with any information it may
require to make a just and
equitable order." The Court order
went further to state that, on receipt of the reports, it "shall
issue such further
directions as it considers appropriate" and
that any party may re-enrol the matter for a further hearing on
reasonable notice.
[7]
During the course of 2013, the national
and provincial Ministers that
were joined in the proceedings provided their affidavits and reports
in the eviction application.
Further affidavits and notices were
exchanged between the applicant, the City and the Western Cape
Minister for Human Settlements
(sixth or seventh respondent) in the
last quarter of 2013 and the first quarter of 2014.
[8]
Pursuant to the Court order of 25 October
2013 which confirmed the
joinder of the third to the seventh respondent in the eviction
application, both applications were set
down to be heard on 12 May
2014. However, the Provincial Government of the Western Cape in
mid-April 2014 brought a postponement
application to enable a survey
to be conducted of every household on the two (2) properties within
four (4) months. The two (2)
applications were postponed on 12 May
2014 to allow the surveys to be conducted. A subsequent Court order
was issued on 6 October
2014 which amended the earlier Court order
directing that the surveys be completed by 14 November 2014.
[9]
Between November 2014 and February
2022, when the applicant launched
an application to join the Minister of Police as the eighth
respondent and the Government of
the Republic of South Africa as the
ninth respondent, there appears to be no activity in the eviction
application. It laid dormant
for over seven (7) years.
[10]
The applicant stated that when a group of persons began
to invade the
property, attempts were made by the applicant to safeguard the
property by deploying guards. The security guards
sought assistance
from the police and they were informed by the police that as the
occupation of the land related to a conduct
taking place on private
land, the police were unable to assist. By the time the eviction
application was instituted, there were
approximately two hundred
(200) informal structures on the property, with approximately ten
(10) new structures being erected every
day. The property became
wholly occupied and the persons on the property are in their
thousands.
[11]
According to the applicant, as the litigation progressed
it became
apparent that a successful eviction of the occupiers from the
property was an objective impossibility due to the cost
of carrying
out such an eviction. The prospect of successfully keeping the
occupiers off the property in the event they were evicted,
and the
lack of alternative accommodation for such a large group of persons
militated against them being successfully removed.
The applicant
therefore stated that it elected to join parties without objection,
i.e. the third to ninth respondents. The eighth
respondent denied
this assertion and stated that it was not correct that the joinder of
the eighth and ninth respondents was attributable
to developments in
the progression of the litigation. When the eighth and ninth
respondents were joined in February 2022, the litigation
had stalled
since the second half of 2014. Also, it was incorrect that they were
joined without objection, in the Court order of
March 2012 paragraph
3 specifically stated that:
'It is recorded that
the eighth respondent's non-opposition to its joinder in the main
application is in no way an admission of
the merits or otherwise of
any claim which the applicant intends to seek to
advance
against the eighth respondent in the main
application and is
with reservation of the eighth respondent's rights to object to the
proposed amendment of the applicant's notice
of motion upon
consideration of the papers in the main application, should it be
considered appropriate to do
so."
[12]
It was pointed out by the eighth respondent that when
the main
application was brought and prior to February 2022, at no stage did
the applicant indicate that any relief would be sought
against the
eighth respondent on account of alleged acts and / or omissions of
the South African Police Services
("SAPS”),
or that
the Minister of Police would be joined as a party to the proceedings.
[13]
It was said that only recently the applicant has since
sought to
amend its claim to reflect primarily a declarator that various of the
respondents had failed to protect the constitutional
proprietary
rights of the applicant, and a consequent relief that the City be
ordered to purchase the property, with the purchase
price to be paid
by the third and / or fourth and / or sixth and / or seventh and / or
eighth and / or ninth respondents. The purchase
price to be paid as
if the land was vacant,
and alternatively,
that the second,
third, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth respondents pay
constitutional damages pursuant to the breach of
the applicant's
proprietary rights.
Application
for Leave to Amend
[14]
The applicant filed a substantial application for leave to
amend its
notice of motion dated 20 August 2012 by the deletion of paragraphs 1
- 13 inclusive of sub-paragraphs, and by the substitution
with the
following:
"1.
Declaring that the second, eighth and ninth respondents, in failing
to take steps to protect the property of the
applicant known as
Portion 20 of Farm 7787 Cape Division, Province of the Western Cape
(''the property') violated the constitutional
rights of the applicant
to such property.
2.
Declaring that the second, third, fifth, sixth and ninth
respondents in failing to have mechanisms in place to relocate the
first
respondents from the property, violated the constitutional
rights of the applicant to such property.
3.
Ordering and directing the second respondent, or such other
respondent as the court may deem appropriate, to take all steps and
sign all documents necessary to effect the purchase [of] the property
from the applicant for a price to be determined as set out
hereunder
("the purchase price').
4.
Ordering the third and I or fifth and I or sixth and I or
seventh and I or eighth and I or ninth respondents [to] pay the
purchase
price for the property, to give effect to the purchase as
set out in paragraph 3 above, insofar as same may not fall within the
budgetary constraints of the second respondent.
4.1
That the purchase price payable to the applicants for the
property be determined by an arbitrator ("the arbitrator') in
due
course, the arbitrator, failing agreement between the parties
within 14 days of such order as this honourable court might hand
down, to be appointed by the president of the Cape Bar Council;
4.2
That, in determining the purchase price, the arbitrator will
take into account all relevant considerations and determine the
purchase
price based on market related value of the property as at
date of the arbitration award.
Without derogating from
the generality of the aforesaid the arbitrator will take specific
note of the following considerations;
4.2.1
That the purchase price to be determined
as
if
the property in question and the surrounding area were vacant land,
and that the informal settlement that has arisen on the property
and
in the surrounding area be accordingly disregarded for purposes of
valuation and determination.
4.2.2
That the purchase price of the property be determined
with cognizance of all services, including but not limited to roads,
drainage
systems, water access points and electrical access points,
already installed by the applicant.
4.2.3
That the purchase price of the property be determined
with cognizance of the use to which the applicant put the property
prior to
the occupation thereof and the use to which it would have
put the property in the event the occupation thereof had not taken
place.
5.
Alternatively to prayer 4 above, that the second and I or third
and I or fifth and I
or sixth and I
or
seventh and I or eighth and I
or ninth respondents pay
the applicant compensation I constitutional damages pursuant to their
breach of its constitutional rights
as
set out above, the
quantum of such compensation I
constitutional damages
to be equivalent to the value of the property, same to be determined
in the same manner, and taking into
account the same considerations,
as
the determination of the purchase price
as
set out
in paragraphs 4.1
-
4.2.3 above.
6.
Alternatively, to prayers 4 and 5 above, that the second
respondent expropriate the property
as
contemplated [in] the
Expropriation Act 63 of 1975 with the compensation payable as
contemplated in section 12 thereof to be determined
in the same
manner, and take into account the same considerations, as the
determination of the purchase price as set out in paragraphs
4.1
-
4.1.3 above.
7.
Alternatively, to prayer 4, 5 and 6 above, that the first
respondents be ordered to vacate the property together with all their
goods and belongings, including but not limited to all structures
erected by the first respondents on the property, on
a
date to
be determined by the above honourable court.
7.1
That in the event the first respondents fail to vacate the
property as set out above, that the Sheriff of the above honourable
court,
duly assisted by the second and eighth respondents, be ordered
and directed to evict them from the property, together with all their
goods and belongings, on
a
date to be determined by the
honourable court.
7.2
That the second and I or third and I or fifth and I or sixth
and I or seventh and I or eighth and I
or ninth
respondents pay all costs and expenses of giving effect to the
eviction of the first respondents as set out above.
8.
That the first respondents, in the event of their vacation of
I eviction from the property, be interdicted and restrained from
thereafter
entering into or being present upon the property for any
purpose whatsoever or from erecting or seeking to erect any structure
on the property be it of
a
permanent, semi-permanent or
informal nature.
8.1
That in the event the first respondents indeed act in
a
manner as contemplated in 8 above, then the sheriff of the above
honourable court, duly assisted by the second and eighth respondents,
is ordered and directed to remove them from the property together
with their belongings.
8.2
That all costs of so removing the first respondents from the
property shall be borne by the second and I or eighth respondents.
9.
That the second and eighth respondents, alternatively such of
the respondents as the above honourable court may deem meet, pay the
costs of this application jointly and severally the one paying the
other to be absolved.
10.
"
[15]
The eighth respondent objected to this application on
the basis that
prayers 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 seeks to implicate the eighth respondent.
In addition, the applicant does not have a
sustainable cause of
action against the eighth respondent. Even if the lack of substantive
merit against the eighth respondent
could be put aside, any potential
or alleged claim against the eighth respondent has prescribed. For
its claim, the applicant relies
on alleged acts or omissions which
occurred during the second half of 2012. Meaning, any cause of action
which the applicant considers
itself to have against the eighth
respondent arose during the second half of 2012, which the applicant
knew the identity of the
alleged debtor and the facts giving rise to
the alleged debt.
[16]
It was therefore said that the period of prescription
provided for in
the Prescription Act 68 of 1969
("
Prescription
Act”)
in particular
section 12(3)
was completed by the end of 2015. The
eighth respondent was only joined in this matter in March 2022. At
that time, the notice
of motion made no mention of the eighth
respondent. A notice to amend the notice of motion to introduce new
relief and amongst
others, a relief against the eighth respondent was
only delivered at the beginning of April 2022. In light thereof, it
was stated
that the alleged claim which the applicant might have
against the eighth respondent has become prescribed in terms of
section 11
and
12
of the
Prescription Act. The
applicant is therefore
precluded from effecting its intended amendments, insofar as they
seek to implicate or potentially implicate
the eighth respondent.
[17]
The
applicant
stated that
its claim was based,
inter
alia,
on
the principle enunciated in
President
of the Republic of South Africa v Modderklip Boerdery (Pty) Ltd (Agri
SA, Amici Curiae),
[1]
("Modderklip
CC'?
which stated as follows:
'[42] It is obvious in
this case that only one party, the State, holds the key to the
solution of Modderklip's problem. There is
no possibility of the
order of the Johannesburg High Court being carried out in the absence
of effective participation by the State.
The only question is whether
the State is obliged to help in resolving the problem, in other
words, whether Modderklip is entitled
to any relief from the State.
[43]
The
obligation on the State goes further than the mere provision of the
mechanisms and institutions referred to above.
It is
also obliged to take reasonable
steps,
where
possible,
to ensure
that
large-scale
disruptions
in
the
social fabric do not occur in the wake of the
execution of court orders, thus undermining the rule of law.
The precise nature of the State's obligation in any particular
case and in respect of any particular right will depend on what is
reasonable, regard being had to the nature of the right or interest
that is at risk, as well as on the circumstances of each case.
[45]
It
is unreasonable for a private entity such as Modderklip to be forced
to bear the burden which should be borne by the State, of
providing
the occupiers with accommodation.
Land invasion of this
scale are a matter that threatens far more than the private rights of
a
single property owner.
Because of their
capacity to be socially inflammatory, they have the potential to have
serious implications for stability and public
peace.
Failure
by the State to act in an appropriate manner in the circumstances
would mean that Modderklip, and others similarly placed
could not
look upon the State and its organs to protect them from invasions of
their property.
That would be
a
recipe for
anarchy.
[48]
The
question that needs to be answered is whether the State was, in the
circumstances, obliged to do more than it has done to satisfy
the
requirements of the rule of the law and fulfil the
s34
rights of
Modderklip.
I find that it was unreasonable of the
State to stand by and do nothing in circumstances where it was
impossible for Modderklip
to evict the occupiers because of the sheer
magnitude of the invasion and the particular circumstances of the
occupiers."
[18]
The eighth respondent denied that it had a role to play
in the
invasion of the land belonging to the applicant. In fact, it did not
understand clearly the motive for its joinder so belatedly.
It
pointed out that the Minister of Police was not party to the main
application when it was launched. It observed that there were
few
references to the SAPS when the application was launched, both in its
founding and replying affidavits. Even then, these were
not
designated to support any relief against the belatedly-joined eighth
respondent. Moreover, there is nothing which explicitly
seeks to make
out a case for a breach of constitutional rights by the Minister of
Police, by virtue of SAPS failing to take steps
to protect the
applicant's property. In addition, there is no motivation why the
Minister of Police should pay, or contribute to,
the purchase price
of the property if the City cannot afford to buy it.
[19]
The Court's attention was drawn to merely four (4) references
to the
police services in the applicant's founding affidavit. For instance,
in paragraph 16 of the founding affidavit, it was said
that, when the
police were contacted during the week of 5 April 2012 to assist the
applicant with removing unlawful occupiers from
the land the
applicant was allegedly informed that
"because it
was
privately owned land the police could not assist the applicant and
that
as
the registered owner of the land it would have to deal
with the situation itself."
That statement
constitutes hearsay, so said the eighth respondent. Further, in
paragraph 20, when the applicant sought assistance
from the police to
deal with further invasions of the property on 25 July 2012,
"the
security guards were once again told that it
was
private land
and that they were therefore unable to
assist
them."
Furthermore, in paragraph 48 in support of the interdictory
relief, it was alleged that
"In spite of approaching the
police and the anti-invasion unit, the applicant has been advised
that, without a Court Order,
they would be unable to
assist
the
applicant."
The fourth and final reference to the
police or SAPS in the founding affidavit is at paragraph 58, where it
is stated, once an interim
order is in place
"the police
would at least be authorised to control any violence that might erupt
and thereby protect all concerned."
The applicant's case
against SAPS relates to SAPS' failure to remove occupiers from the
land or prevent further occupation during
2012. The eighth respondent
denied the assertion that the main application need not be considered
by this Court in determining
the application for amendment. In the
contrary, it was stated that the Court should consider the main
application papers to satisfy
itself as to the true position.
[20]
The eighth respondent observed that it is bizarre for
the Minister of
Police to be one of only two (2) respondents singled out for an
adverse costs award in the principal costs prayers.
The eighth
respondent acknowledged that an award for costs lie in the discretion
of the Court and that a claim for costs against
a party cannot be
time-barred.
Discussion
on the principles applicable to amendments (Rule 28)
[21]
The
applicant contended that the principles relating to grant of an
amendment were recently restated by the Constitutional Court
in
Ascendis
Animal Health (Pty) Ltd v Merck Shap Dohme Corporation and Others
[2]
("Ascendis
")
where it was stated:
'[89]
It is
evident that this rule is an enabling rule and amendments should
generally be allowed unless there is good cause for not allowing
an
amendment.
This was enunciated in Moo/man where the
court held that:
'The practical rule
adopted seems to be that amendments
will always be
allowed
unless the application
to amend
is
mala
fide or unless
such amendment would
cause an injustice to the other side which cannot be compensated by
costs, or in other words, unless the parties
cannot be put back for
the purposes of justice in the same position
as
they were when
the pleading which it is sought to amend was filed.'
[90]
Therefore there appears to be no good reason why the High Court
refused to allow the amendment
of the applicant's plea
in light of this enabling rule and the principle laid out in Moo/man.
The respondents did not show that the amendments were
requested
ma/a
fide
and did not argue that there
is prejudice that would be suffered by it that cannot be cured by an
appropriate costs order."
[22]
It was the applicant's submission that the eighth respondent
does not
contend in any way that its application for leave to amend was ma/a
fide.
The only question in this application that could
arise is the question of costs. The material allegation of prejudice
is as to costs,
for which the eighth respondent could be compensated
as stated in
Ascendis
and
Moolman.
[23]
The
applicant submitted that the eighth respondent appears to argue that
it does not have a duty to act to protect the rights of
citizens of
the Republic.
That
contention, it was said is wholly without merit as SAPS, as an organ
of state has legal and constitutional duties to members
of the
public, including the applicant.
It cannot
stand passively by and watch while crimes are committed and person's
constitutional rights accordingly negated. The courts
are clear that
organs of state are under a positive obligation to protect citizens
and
more
specifically
constitutionally
guaranteed
rights. In
Van
Eeden
v
Minister
of
Safety
and
Security
(Women's
Legal
Centre
Trust,
as
Amicus
Curiae)
[3]
it was
held that:
“…
the
question whether a particular omission to act should be regarded as
unlawful has always been an open-ended and flexible one.
This
court held that in determining the wrongfulness of an omission to
act, the concept of the legal convictions of the community
must now
necessarily incorporate the norms, values and principles contained in
the Constitution.
It was stressed that freedom from
violence is recognised as fundamental to the equal enjoyment of human
rights and fundamental freedoms
and that s12(1)(c) of the
Constitution requires the state to protect individuals, both by
refraining from such invasions itself
and by taking active steps to
prevent violation of the right.
In particular, it was
held that s12(1)(c) of the Constitution places a positive duty on the
state to protect everyone from violent
crime.
In this
regard reference was made to the seminal decision in Minister
of Safety and Security v Van Duivenboden
2002
(6) SA 431
(SCA) ([2002]
3 All SA 741
;
[2002] ZASCA
79)
para 20, where
this court concluded that while private
citizens might be entitled to remain passive when the constitutional
rights of other citizens
are under threat. the state has a positive
constitutional duty to act in the protection
of
the rights in the Bill of Rights."
(Emphasis
supplied)
[24]
It was
argued further that in
Minister
of Justice and Constitutional Development v X (“X”)
[4]
,
the
comments in this matter were premised on the Constitutional Court
judgment in
Carmichele
v
Minister
of
Safety
and
Security
(Centre
for
Applied
Legal
Studies
Intervening)
[2001] ZACC 22
;
2001 (4) SA 938
(CC) ("Carmichele”),
where
the court held at paragraph [44] when discussing section 7 and 8 of
the Bill of Rights, that:
"It follows that
there is
a
duty imposed on the State and all of its organs not
to perform any act that infringes these rights in some circumstances
there would
also be
a
positive component which obliges the
State and its organs to provide appropriate protection to everyone
through laws and structures
designed to afford such protection."
[25]
The eighth respondent strongly disagreed with the applicant's
assertion in this regard. It stated that in its heads of argument the
applicant seeks to characterise the amendments differently,
evidently
in an attempt to bypass the prescription difficulties inherent in the
characterisation in its supporting affidavit. The
applicant now
places considerable reliance on the fact that the conduct of which it
has complained about in the main application
purportedly consists of
'a continuing wrong.'
[26]
The main objection of the Minister of Police to the
proposed
amendments is, in essence that
"the Applicant does not have
a
sustainable cause of action against the Eighth Respondent because,
even leading aside the lack of substantive merit of the claim
sought
to be advanced against the Eighth Respondent, any potential or
alleged claim against the Eighth Respondent has prescribed."
[27]
In any event, it was stated that the Minister of Police
would be
considerably prejudiced if the amendments implicating the Minister
were permitted to be introduced by the applicant, as
the Minister of
Police and SAPS can hardly be expected to respond in 2022/2023 to
allegations about what a particular police officer
may allegedly have
said or done, or failed to do, in 2012, or what a police station
might allegedly have done or not done more
than a decade ago.
[28]
The eighth respondent highlighted that the principles
applicable to
amendments as the applicant stated are incomplete and accordingly not
entirely accurate. The applicant's summation
is that an amendment
should always be allowed unless it is ma/a
fide
or results in
prejudice which cannot be compensated by costs. Meanwhile an
amendment could be refused on either of those basis,
but they are not
the only grounds on which an amendment can be refused. The Court
moreover retains a general discretion and other
factors are also
relevant.
[29]
The
case-law shows that a party seeking to amend a pleading or document
must at least:
[5]
29.1
explain the reasons for the amendment and show that it
is acting bona fide;
29.2
show
that
any
new
cause
of
action
or
defence
which
is
sought
to
be introduced involves
a
triable issue; and
29.3
.
demonstrate that the amendment, if granted, will not
cause prejudice to the other side which cannot be remedied by an
appropriate
order as to costs.
[30]
The eighth
respondent stressed that an amendment would not be a foregone
conclusion. In
Florence
Soap
&
Chemical
Works
(Pty)
Ltd v
Ozen
Wholesalers (Pty)
Ltd,
[6]
it was held that an amendment may also be refused where there was an
unreasonable delay in bringing the application for leave to
amend.
[7]
Amendments
which are moved at a late stage are moreover a particular
indulgence.
[8]
[31]
The greater
the disruption caused by a late amendment, the greater the indulgence
sought and accordingly the greater the burden
upon the applicant to
convince the Court to accommodate it.
[9]
Where a
litigant seeks to introduce a new claim or defence very late in the
day, it must also show that it did not delay once it
had become aware
of the evidentiary material upon which it seeks to find its new claim
or defence.
[10]
In
addition, where an application for leave to amend is moved at a late
stage in proceedings, the applicant's prospects of succeeding
with
its new amended case are a relevant element in the exercise of the
Court's discretion as to whether or not to allow the amendment,
and
it may be appropriate for the Court to require the applicant to
indicate how it proposes to establish/ prove its amended case.
[11]
[32]
As a
general, the eighth respondent argued that an amendment will not be
allowed where the issue proposed to be introduced by the
amendment is
not a triable, or thus potentially sustainable one.
[12]
That means, in the case of an application -
where
affidavits serve not only as 'the pleadings,' but also the evidence-
is
that
the
allegations
on
affidavit
(in this case, the allegations in the affidavits in the main
application) must be capable of sustaining any new claim
or defence
which is sought to be introduced.
[33]
The applicant noted that the eighth respondent wishes
to avoid
becoming involved in these proceedings based on prescription. In its
understanding
Section 11
and
12
of the
Prescription Act applies
to
"periods of prescription of debts." A declaratory relief
does not constitute a claim of debt. A mandatory relief that
the
applicant seeks, that is, the compulsory purchase or expropriation of
the property does not constitute a debt.
[34]
The eighth respondent was adamant that the applicant's
Rule 28(4)
founding affidavit indicated that the new claims were all intended to
obtain monetary compensation from
inter-alia,
the Minister of
Police for a commercial entity, Ross Demolishers. The applicant, so
said the eighth respondent, is not seeking a
constitutional
declarator in the public interest; it is merely seeking a declarator
as a means to claim money from the State respondents
- whether by
means of a purchase or expropriation price, or by way of
constitutional damages. Therefore, a declaratory relief must
therefore be read together with the monetary relief. By virtue of a
claim for monetary relief, the applicant is trying to claim
payment
of a 'debt' owed to the 'debtor.'
In addition, the ninth
respondent said, the fact that the applicant seeks to characterize
the new relief as a
"special constitutional remedy pursuant
to [or premised on] the violation of a right”'
does not
change the fact that Ross Demolishers is endeavouring to claim money
from
inter-alia
the Minster of Police which it claims is owed
to it as a result of the latter's wrongs. It does not assist the
applicant to rely
on the passage in the Constitutional Court's
judgment of
Modderklip (supra)
where it stated that:
"[42] Court
should not be overawed by practical problems"
and
should
"mould an order that will provide effective relief to
those affected by
a
constitutional breach."
[35]
Apart from the fact that the Court in
Modderklip
did not make
any award against the Minister of Police, prescription is not merely
a "practical problem," but a legal impediment.
[36]
The eighth respondent refuted the applicant's assertion that
the new
claims are not barred by prescription because
"the harm
alleged is ongoing and ...
the applicant's rights
continue to be infringed."
It went further to note
that the cause of action giving rise to Ross Demolishers' damages
claim arose out of an alleged act and
I
or omission "in
and during 2012" and nothing purported to be made out against
SAPS that occurred thereafter. That is the
only mention of SAPS in
the applicant's affidavit in the main application. It was said that
the applicant wants to rely on subsequent
unpleaded events in support
of its amended relief. That cannot be allowed. Even if the eighth
respondent accepts that the occupation
of the property by the first
respondents persists that could not be the basis for an argument that
the Minister of Police has purportedly
continued to infringe the
applicant's rights.
[37]
With regard to the duty imposed on the eighth respondent,
it
submitted that all these decisions
(Van Duivenboden,
X
and Carmichele)
do not find application in this case. The three
(3) decisions involves the failure of the state to prevent extreme
violence towards
women and girls. In addition, the applicant cannot
take issue with SAPS stance on the basis of the Trespass Act. The
present case
does not concern anything similar. It observed that it
is deeply offensive to the occupiers, as well as inconsistent with
the constitutional
norms to which SAPS is obliged to adhere, to
equate the actions of the occupiers with violent crimes of sexual
predators and other
abusers of women.
[38]
Contrary to what the applicant suggests, the eighth respondent
pointed out that different considerations apply when persons without
homes are seeking to occupy, or have occupied, vacant land
in an
attempt to give effect to their right to access to land and housing.
For example, SAPS is under a duty to ensure that any
unlawful
occupiers are treated with the requisite dignity and respect, and
that they are not subjected to ineffective or inhumane
state action,
or treated unfairly. SAPS duties in a situation such as the one with
which the present case is concerned are thus
extremely different
from, and in no way comparable to those which apply to rapists,
murderers and women abusers.
[39]
The eighth respondent contended that if the applicant argues
that the
persons making up the first respondents acted illegally in
contravention of the Trespass Act, and that the SAPS has a
"positive
obligation" to address any contraventions of that statute, the
applicant then:
40.1
First,
it overlooks the fact that trespassing charges
would have to be laid against the members of the first respondent,
and the applicant
does not say it has done so.
40.2
Second,
trespass complaints would not permit the SAPS
summarily to arrest all the persons on the property. In light of the
infringement
of a person's liberty occasioned by an arrest, the SAPS
would be very careful about arresting a person accused of a crime of
that
nature, which does not involve a threat or imminent harm or
physical harm which is seldom prosecuted. Even if the SAPS were to
arrest the occupiers of the property, they would not be detained
indefinitely, they would be charged and released. The applicant's
complaint would thus not be addressed.
40.3
Third,
to the
extent that the SAPS is responsible for preventing statutory
contraventions,
it 'cannot
simply be
concluded
that it has
failed to
discharge its responsibilities because a vacant land has been
occupied.
In
JR
209 Investments v City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality and
Others,
[13]
the
Pretoria High Court held that it could be unreasonable of persons
owning property such as that owned by the applicant to expect
SAPS to
prevent people from moving onto large pieces of unfenced private
property. Regard should be had by the applicant to considerations
such as
SAPS' resources and
constraints
in
the
area
and
the
nature
of
the
property,
before
any
conclusions could be reached as to whether SAPS had breached any duty
owed to the applicant.
[40]
The eighth respondent posited that the Courts
over
the past
two (2) decades have applied these principles in matters such as that
of the applicant.
41.1
First,
it is
not permissible
or
appropriate to grant interdicts against
unnamed
persons,
which are
then sought to be used as if such orders are valid as against any and
all persons.
[14]
41.2
Second,
SAPS is
not responsible for evictions -
that is the
duty of the Sheriff. SAPS
can merely
assist
with
the maintenance
of law and
order during evictions,
and can
also merely do so pursuant to a valid court order.
[15]
41.3
Third,
SAPS is
not responsible for securing people's properties, that is the primary
responsibility of the landowner.
[16]
Yacoob J
stated the following in
Mkontwana
para
59:
"This
unlawful
occupation benefits neither the
property
nor
the
owner and, in most cases, is prejudicial to
both.
It is nevertheless the duty of the owner to
safeguard the property, to take reasonable steps to ensure that it is
not unlawfully
occupied and, if it is, to take reasonable steps to
ensure the eviction of the occupier.
If the owner
performs such duties diligently, unlawful occupiers will not, in the
ordinary course, remain on the property for a
long period.
It
is ordinarily not the municipality but the owner who has the power to
take steps to resolve a problem arising out of the unlawful
occupation of her property.
It is accordingly not
unreasonable to expect the owner to bear the risk."
41.4
Fourth,
SAPS
has no obligation to prevent occupation of private property by
homeless persons where it is not reasonable or practical to
take
preventative measures (e.g., because of budgetary or capacity
constraints).
[17]
41.5
Fifth,
SAPS
can only arrest persons as a last resort, and where an infringement
of a person's right to freedom and security is justified
in all the
circumstances, and can also only make an arrest of a person
reasonably suspected of having committed, or being about
to commit a
crime, when there is
a
reasonable
likelihood of a
prosecution
and a custodial sentence.
[18]
41.6
Sixth,
SAPS
cannot arrest pursuant to charges of trespass in order to enable a
landowner to secure an eviction of allegedly unlawful occupiers
in
this manner, and thus to enable an eviction other than in terms of
s26(1) of the Constitution and PIE.
In
addition, a court sentencing someone found guilty of trespassing must
also take into account the
circumstances
relevant to PIE in circumstances
where the
person being sentenced has unlawfully entered land in an endeavour to
find a home.
[19]
41.7
Seventh,
SAPS
must ensure that any unlawful occupiers are treated with the
requisite dignity and respect. This includes not referring to
or
describing the unlawful occupiers in a way which "detracts from
the humanity of the occupiers," or criminalises them.
[20]
Related to
this is the fact that SAPS is under no duty to assist with evictions
of unlawful occupiers when eviction would be ineffective
or inhumane,
due to the absence of alternative land on which the occupiers could
reside, and that SAPS should also not be seen
to be aligned with one
side.
[21]
[41]
In light thereof it was pointed out that the applicant has
not even
begun to take cognizance of these legal principles, or to attempt to
show the case it wants to bring against the Minister
of Police is
sustainable.
Analysis
[42]
In its application for leave to amend its notice
of motion, the
applicant asked this court to condone its failure to observe the time
periods as stipulated in Rule 28(4) of the
Uniform Rules. This
application was not opposed by the respondents. Although there was no
opposition, condonation is not for the
mere asking. The Courts have
an oversight role in all matters that come before it. If the
application is late, the Court has a
discretion whether to grant it
or not. Despite the applicant acknowledging that its alleged cause of
action for the claimed constitutional
damages that it seeks to
introduce at this late stage, commenced in or during 2012, it has
failed to take this Court into confidence
why these constitutional
damages became apparent in March 2022.
[43]
In its application for condonation, no reasons
are advanced and
I
or a convincing explanation is put before this Court for
consideration. Mr Robert William Ross for the applicant in his
affidavit
in support of this application merely stated that,
"The
delay
was
not
as
a result of the applicant's
disregard for the rules of the Honourable Court but
was
created
by practical difficulties outside of the applicant's control,
including service of the Notice of Amendment on the respective
Respondents."(para 16)
... He went on to state that "/
submit that the Respondents will not be prejudiced by the
amendment sought, alternatively, to the extent that any prejudice
is
suffered by the Respondents, it
is
submitted that this may
be overcome by way of an appropriate
cost
order."(para
17}
[44]
This suggestion with respect, fails to address
the degree of
lateness, the satisfactory explanation of lateness, the actual
prejudice to the eighth respondent and a triable case
against the
eighth respondent, if any should the amendment be granted. The
applicant fails to appreciate that it has failed to
amend its
pleadings for over ten (10) years. Nothing comes closer to the
explanation of its non-compliance with the rules. The
applicant did
not explain at what stage was it difficult to locate the respondents
to serve its notice of amendment. Moreover,
the applicant seems to
reason that its inaction could be cured by an appropriate cost order.
Again, that cannot be so as the Court
has to exercise its judicial
discretion before awarding a cost order.
[45]
It is trite
that a party seeking condonation must make out a case entitling it to
the courts indulgence. It must show sufficient
·cause why the
condonation should be granted. This requires the applicant to give a
full explanation for the non-compliance
with the rules of Court.
The
Constitutional Court had an opportunity to consider the circumstances
in which condonation could be granted.
In
Steenkamp
and Others v Edcon Limited,
[22]
the
Constitutional Court stated as follows:
"Granting
condonation must be in the interests of justice. This Court in
Grootboom set out the factors that must be considered
in determining
whether or not it is in the interests of justice to grant
condonation:
[T]he standard of
considering an application for condonation is the interest of
justice.
However, the concept 'interests of justice' is
so
elastic that it is not capable of precise definition.
As
the two
cases
demonstrate, it includes: the nature of the
relief sought; the extent and cause of delay; the effect of the delay
on the administration
of justice and other litigants; the
reasonableness of the explanation for the delay; the importance of
the issue to be raised in
the intended appeal (in this case, the
importance of the issue to be raised in the main application); and
the prospects of success.
It is crucial
to
reiterate
that
both Brummer
and
Van
Wyk
emphasise
that
the
ultimate determination of what is in the interest
of justice must reflect due regard to all the relevant factors but it
is not necessarily
limited to those mentioned above.
The
particular circumstances of each case will determine
which
of
these
factors
are
relevant.
It
is
now
trite
that
condonation cannot be had
for the mere asking.
A party seeking
condonation must make out a case entitling it to the court's
indulgence.
It must show sufficient cause.
This
requires a party to give a full explanation for the non-compliance
with the rules or court's directions.
Of great
significance, the explanation must be reasonable enough to excuse the
default.
The interest of justice must be determined
with reference to all relevant factors.
However, some
of the factors may justifiably be left out of consideration
in
certain
circumstances.
For example,
where
the delay is
unacceptably excessive and there is
no
explanation for the de/av, there may be no need to
consider the prospects of success.
If the period of delay
is
short and there is an unsatisfactory explanation but there
are reasonable prospects of success,
condonation
should be granted.
However, despite
the
presence
of
reasonable
prospects
of
success.
condonation
may
be
refused where the de/ay is
excessive. the explanation
is
non-existent
and
granting condonation would preiudice the other party.
As
a general proposition the various factors are not individually
decisive but should all be taken into account to arrive at
a
conclusion
as
to what is in the interests of justice.
[Emphasis supplied]
[47]
The Courts have an oversight role in matters that come before it. The
fact that parties
have given themselves collegial indulgencies with
regard to time periods on filing papers does not in any way affect
the determination
of issues by the Court. In any event, this period
of over a decade that is not accounted for becomes an issue in the
eighth respondent's
opposition of the application for leave to amend
- that the applicant does not have a sustainable cause of action
against the eighth
respondent because, even leading aside, the lack
of substantive merit of the claim sought to be advanced against the
eighth respondent,
a potential or alleged claim against the eighth
respondent has prescribed.
[48]
In my view, the applicant has not attempted to
show cause why it
should be granted condonation. According to the notice of amendment,
the applicant knew in 2012 that it had a
constitutional claim against
the respondents. For over a decade, nothing was done to ensure that
the respondents are made aware
of this alleged claim. Despite the
alleged claim being known to the applicant, it did not indicate how
it proposed to prove its
case. The applicant sort of downplayed its
non-compliance by suggesting that it could be cured by an appropriate
court order. It
somehow disregarded the gravity of its obligations.
In my conclusion, the applicant has failed to satisfy this Court that
it should
be granted condonation. As a result thereof it should fail.
[49]
To the extent that the merits of the application
for amendment were
fully argued before this Court, it would be prudent to deal with the
merits of this application. The applicant
filed a substantial and
comprehensive notice of amendment in March 2022. In considering this
application, the general approach
to an amendment of a notice of
motion is the same as to a summons or pleading in an action.
[50]
Notwithstanding,
the Court has a discretion on whether or not to grant leave to amend.
It is trite
that such discretion must be executed judicially.
[23]
The eighth
respondent has pointed out the requirements for granting an order for
leave to amend at paragraph [32]
(supra).
[51]
In its application for amendment, the applicant
stated that alleged
cause of action came into effect during the second half of 2012 when
a group of persons began invading the
property. It was said that the
applicant's unnamed security guards approached the SAPS to assist
them. The applicant does not identify
the form of assistance that
their security guards sought against the SAPS, and it is not for this
Court to speculate. It appeared
that the unnamed security guards were
informed by unidentified policemen that the occupation of the
property by a group of persons
related to a conduct taking place on
private land and without a Court order, they were unable to assist.
[52]
The eighth respondent clearly articulated the
circumstances in which
the SAPS assist in eviction matters. The applicant did not say that
they complied with those circumstances.
The applicant merely relied
on
Modderklip(supra)
in its argument that the SCA and the
Constitutional Court awarded constitutional damages against the State
respondent in those matters.
Indeed, the constitutional damages were
awarded against the Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs as the
relevant department
that was responsible for the provision of land.
The order made sense. In a situation where the SAPS was cursory
mentioned four
(4) times as stated in the applicant's founding
affidavit in the main application (see also para [22]
supra),
it
is mind boggling why the applicant would rely on this decision in
justifying their alleged claim against the eighth respondent.
In any
event, it is not the applicant's contention that the trespassing
charges were made against the unlawful occupiers of the
property.
Again, even after the applicant was armed with a court order of
eviction, it is not its case that it approached the SAPS
and they
refused to assist in ensuring that the order is served peacefully to
the unlawful occupiers without impediments.
[53]
The applicant requires this Court
to be convinced that the conduct of
the eighth respondent was ongoing and therefore the issue of
prescription does not come into
place. From the applicant's own
application, the period between 2012 to 2022 is unaccounted for. For
this Court to be convinced
that the litigation in this matter has
been ongoing, the applicant must show that the proceedings indeed
continued without an interruption.
The record does not support the
applicant's contention. Instead, it supports the eighth respondent's
assertion that this matter
was dormant after the filing of the
reports that were requested by the Court.
[54]
To escape the eighth respondent's
defence that whatever claim that
the applicant might have against it has prescribed, the applicant
pointed out that the alleged
claim is not a debt, it merely claimed
constitutional damages, since the eighth respondent failed to protect
its constitutional
property rights. The applicant said a declaratory
relief does not constitute a debt. In the applicant's understanding,
a mandatory
relief that is a compulsory purchase or expropriation of
land does not constitute a debt. It is not clear in the application
where
the applicant derives those rights from the Constitution.
[55]
However, in terms of section 38 (Enforcement
of Rights) of the
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996, a court
may award damages for a violation of rights
in the Bill of Rights.
The applicant might and / or might not have a claim against the other
respondent. But, judging from the
allegations in the notice of
amendment a claim for constitutional damages is not viable.
[56]
According to the applicant, the issue raised in
its notice of
amendment are not new, they were there since 2012. If that be the
case, the question to be asked is why was the eighth
respondent not
made aware of the claim against it from the onset. In my view, the
onus is on the applicant that its amendment is
made
bona
fide
and the cause of action sought to be introduced
comprises a triable issue.
[57]
If due regard is had to the definition of 'damages
claim'-
'Cambridge
dictionary defines
damages
claim
as
a
demand
for
money
from
someone
or
from
their
insurance for harm that has been done'.
This is what the applicant seeks to claim,
albeit
at this
stage it employed a constitutional route utilizing a declarator. It
is trite that prescription in respect of a claim for
damages
commences as soon as the cause of action accrues and the debt in
respect of the payment of damages is claimable. Since
the eighth
respondent was mentioned in the applicant's affidavit in 2012. That
means the applicant knew of its claim in 2012. It
is of paramount
importance that the claimant is aware of or should reasonably be
aware of the identity of the debtor and the facts
of the cause of
action. In such circumstances prescription is concluded after three
years. It does not assist the applicant to
deny that what it seeks to
claim constitutes a debt. Simply put, the applicant stated that the
Court should order the purchase
of property or the payment of
constitutional damages and the quantum of the compensation should be
equivalent to the value of the
property. In my view that is a
commercial transaction for the sale of land. It then follows that
such claim constitutes a debt.
[58]
The applicant has not convinced this Court why
it failed to join the
eighth respondent in the main proceedings in 2012, if at that point
it was aware that the eighth respondent
is liable for its
constitutional damages. The authorities cited by the applicant where
constitutional damages were awarded by the
Court involved protected
rights not to be tortured or subjected to cruel, inhumane and
degrading treatment. This case is distinguishable
from those cases as
the applicant alleged that it merely sought assistance from the SAPS
and they were advised that they were unable
to assist more so without
a Court order. In
Modderklip
(Constitutional Court
supra),
Langa ACJ had this to say:
"[29}
There is no doubt,
as
was held by this Court in
Mkontwana v Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality and Another,
that owners of property bear the primary
responsibility to take
reasonable
steps
to
protect their property."
[59]
In this matter, the SAPS was criticised for its
failure to safeguard
the applicant's property, but the Constitutional Court held that it
remains the primary duty of the owner
of the property to safeguard
its property and not the State. Hence no adverse order was made
against the SAPS in that matter.
[60]
In
addition, based on the fact that the applicant requires its land to
be valued and quantified as if there were no unlawful occupier
in the
property, suggest that the applicant wants to be compensated for the
loss suffered as a result of the invasion of its property.
It has
always been said that the court in determining whether it is
appropriate to award constitutional damages, alternatively,
whether
an alternative remedy is sufficient to vindicate the rights, the
court will determine each case on its merits.
For
instance, the Court will take into account,
inter
alia
(i)
the nature and relative importance
of the
rights that are in issue; (ii) alternative remedies that may be
available to assert and vindicate the rights; and (iii) the
consequences of breaching these rights for the claimants.
[24]
[61]
Clearly, if the applicant is able to resolve the
issue of
compensation for his loss of land in a civil claim without invoking
the provisions of the Constitution, then, it should
do or have done
so. The fact that the Court called for some reports from the
respondents to be filed in order to determine an alternative
remedy,
suggests that that process was left hanging without reaching its
conclusion.
[62]
Undoubtedly, the applicant's claim against the
respondents is the
loss of land as a result of unlawful invasion. I repeat, if according
to the applicant, it needs its land to
be valued and quantified in
monetary form, that without a doubt will constitute a debt. In my
view, it does not assist the applicant
to suggest that its claim does
not constitute a debt within the meaning of
Section 11
and
12
of the
Prescription Act. If
the debt became due in 2012 and the proceeding
became dormant in succeeding years, I agree with the eighth
respondent that whatever
claim that the applicant might have against
it has prescribed. In any event, the applicant failed to enumerate
the proprietary
rights which the eighth respondent has breached. In
conclusion, based on the aforesaid analysis, the applicant has no
triable issue
against the eighth respondent. It would therefore be a
futile exercise to grant the applicant leave to amend as it would
have no
prospects of success in the main application.
[63]
In the result, I grant the following order:
63.1
The application for condonation is dismissed;
63.2
Leave to amend the applicant's notice of motion against first,
second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth respondent
is
granted.
63.3
The application for leave to amend the applicant's notice of
motion against the eighth respondent is dismissed with costs.
MANTAME
J
WESTERN
CAPE HIGH COURT
[1]
2005 (5) SA 3
(CC) paras 42 - 51
[2]
2020 (1) SA 327
(CC) at para [89] -
[90]
relying on Moolman v Estate Moolman
1927 CPD 27
("Moolman")
[3]
2003 (1) SA 389
(SCA); ([2002]
4 All SA 346)
paras 11 - 14
[4]
2015 (1) SA 25 (SCA)
[5]
Trans-Drakensberg Bank Ltd v Combined Engineering (Pty) Ltd
1967 (3)
SA 632
(D) at 640H- 641C (referred to with approval in Caxton Ltd v
Reeva Forman (Pty) Ltd
1990 (3) SA 546
(A) at 565G; Flemmer v
Ainsworth
1910 TPD 81
; Minister van die SA Polisie v Kraatz
1973 SA
490(A)
at 512 E -
H; Hamaker
v Minister of Interior
1965 (1) SA 372
(C) at 384 D - E
[6]
1954 (3) SA 945
(T) at 947 A-
B (with
reference to the judgment of Greenberg J in Rosenberg v Bitcom
1935
WLD 115)
as well as at 948 A-
C
[7]
See Van Aswegen & Another v Fechter
1939 OPD 78
at 88 (per Van
den Heever J, as he then was) and Tengwa v Metrorail 2002 (1) SA 739
(C)
[8]
Gollach & Gomperts (1967) (Pty) Ltd v Universal Mills &
Produce Co (Pty) Ltd 1978 (l)
SA 914 (A)
at 928D
[9]
Ciba -
Geigy
(Pty) Ltd v Lushof Farms (Pty) Ltd
2002 (2) SA 447
(SCA) at 464 E-F
[10]
Ciba -
Geigy
(supra) at 463
[11]
Ciba -
Geigy
(supra) at 464 G-H
[12]
Caxton v Reeva Forman (supra fn 41) at 565 H-J; Cross v Ferreira
1950(3) SA443(C) at449H; Przybylak v Santam Insurance Ltd
1992 (1)
SA 588
(C) at 599-600; De Klerk and Another v Du Plessis and Others
1995(2) SA 40 (T) at 431- 44A; Barnard v Barnard
2000 (3) SA 620
(T)
at para 5; and YB v SB and Others NO 2016(1) SA 47 (WCC) at para 11
[13]
(Case No. 76139/2015) [2015) ZA GPPHC 1024 (13 November 2015)
[14]
Kayamandi Town Committee v Mkhwaso and Others
1991 (2) SA 630
(C) at
634F -
636D; City
of Cape Town v Yawa
[2004] 2 All SA 281
(C) at 634 F-1
[15]
Modderfontein Squatters, Great Benoni City Council v Modderklip
Boerdery (Pty) Ltd; President of the Republic of South Africa
and
Others v Modderklip Boerdery (Pty) Ltd
2004 (6) SA 40
(SCA) at paras
29-30; section 26 of the Constitution; sections 4(11) and 8(1) orPIE
[16]
Mkontwana v Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality and Another
2005 (1) SA 530
(CC) at para 59; Modderklip (Constitutional Court
supra) at para 29
[17]
JR 209 Investments v City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality and
Others (Case No. 76139/2015) [2015] ZAGPPHC 1024 (13 November
2015)
at paras 17-18 -where the court stated as follows:
"[17]
As
pointed
out
earlier
the
relevant
subject
properties
extend
a
good
measure
of
167 [hectares].
It
is
indeed
so
that
there
is
a
legal
duty
on
the
first
and
second
respondents
[the municipality
and
the SAPS]
to, inter
alia, prevent
commission
of crime,
such
as
trespassing
or illegal invasion on the property of
the applicant.
In this regard it is apposite to cite
the following: 'The existence of
a
legal duty to avoid or
prevent loss
is a
conclusion of law depending upon the
consideration
of all the circumstances of each
particular case and depending on the interplay of many factors which
have to be considered.
The issue, in essence, is one
of reasonableness, determined with reference to the legal perception
of the community as assessed
by the Court' [Vide Van Eeden v
Minister of Safety and Security 2001(4)
SA
646 TPD at 653D].
[18]
The extent of the property of the applicant, just on the outside
border is vast and would require a large contingency
of manpower
deployed to police for purposes of preventing the encroachment and
trespassing complained of. In my view, it would
be unreasonable to
expect of the first and second respondents to deploy manpower to
prevent trespass or even illegal dumping
on the relevant property.
Such deployment would come with great financial constraints to their
purse, and severe criticism from
the public which would frown upon
such deployment for the protection of an individual's private
property."
[18]
Sex Worker Education & Advocacy Task Force (SWEAT) v Minister of
Safety and Security
2009 (6) SA 513
(WCC) at paras 17-28 (where the
SAPS was found to have unlawfully arrested prostitutes who were
plying their trade on the streets
in Cape Town because there was to
the police's knowledge little chance of the prostitutes being
prosecuted.
[19]
S v Koko
2006 (1) SACR 15
(C) at para 11-12, 14-16, 22-24; S v
Samuels
2016 (2) SACR 298
(WCC) at paras 25-26.
The
two-judge
Bench
stated the following at para 24 of S
v Koko:
"The case is the clearest possible support for the viewpoint
that the Director of Public Prosecutions should guard
against
prosecutions under section 1 of Act 6 of 1959 [the Trespass Act]
being used by owners and persons
in charge
of land and/ or buildings as a means to procure the eviction of
persons from their home without compliance with onerous,
but clearly
statutory provisions of the PIE Act, especially where the duration
of the occupation has not been of a
merely
transitory nature."
[20]
Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality v Various Occupiers
2014 (3) SA
23
(SCA) at para 12 (quoting Government of the RSA v Grootboom
2001
(1) SA 46
(CC) at paras 82-83, See Port Elizabeth Municipality v
Various Occupiers
[2004] ZACC 7
;
2005 (1) SA 217
(CC) at paras 18, 36-37, as well
as Occupiers of Portion R25 of the Farm Mooiplaats 335 JR v Golden
Thread and Others
2012 (4) SA 337
(CC);
2012 (4) BCLR 372
(CC) at
para 4.
[21]
Modderklip (SCA supra) at paras 26-29, Modderklip (Constitutional
Court supra) at paras 46-14
[22]
(CCT29/l
8)
[2019]
ZACC 17
;
2019 (7) BCLR 826
(CC); (2019) 40 ILJ 1731 (CC);
[2019] 11
BCLR 1189
(CC) (30 April 2019) at para [36]
[23]
YB vs SB (supra) at 50 H-J, para [8] and [9]
[24]
MEC for Department of Welfare v Kate
[2006] ZASCA 49
at para
[25]
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