Case Law[2024] ZAKZDHC 75South Africa
Ixia Trading 616 (Pty) Limited v Von Maltitz and Another (D8163/2024) [2024] ZAKZDHC 75 (18 October 2024)
Judgment
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# South Africa: Kwazulu-Natal High Court, Durban
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## Ixia Trading 616 (Pty) Limited v Von Maltitz and Another (D8163/2024) [2024] ZAKZDHC 75 (18 October 2024)
Ixia Trading 616 (Pty) Limited v Von Maltitz and Another (D8163/2024) [2024] ZAKZDHC 75 (18 October 2024)
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sino date 18 October 2024
SAFLII
Note:
Certain
personal/private details of parties or witnesses have been
redacted from this document in compliance with the law
and
SAFLII
Policy
IN THE HIGH COURT OF
SOUTH AFRICA
KWAZULU-NATAL LOCAL
DIVISION, DURBAN
CASE NO: D8163/2024
In the matter between:
IXIA
TRADING 616 (PTY) LIMITED
APPLICANT
and
ELIZABETH VON MALTITZ
FIRST RESPONDENT
ALEXANDER CO (PTY)
LIMITED T/A
TERRA
BELLA
SECOND RESPONDENT
ORDER
Accordingly, I make
the following order:
1.
The first respondent is
interdicted and restrained pending the final
outcome of the application, in the geographical area of Sub-Saharan
Africa, Mauritius,
Madagascar, Zanzibar, Maldives and Reunion from,
directly or indirectly, either as principal, agent, partner,
representative, shareholder,
director, trustee, beneficiary or
employee:
(a)
Encouraging, enticing, inciting or
persuading or inducing any
employee of the applicant to terminate his or her employment with the
applicant, or to attempt to do
so;
(b)
Soliciting orders from any other supplier
of similar or competing
products and services as those of the applicant;
(c)
canvassing for business in respect
of similar or competing products
and services with customers of the applicant and any new or
prospective customers;
(d)
canvassing for business in respect
of similar or competing products
and services or with any other supplier, distributor, reseller, agent
or the like as those of
the applicant;
(e)
holding any direct or indirect interest
in any business, entity,
trust or person who competes with the applicant, such interest to
include but not be limited to employment,
advisor, contractor,
financier, owner, shareholder or consultant;
(f)
unlawfully competing with
the applicant in the sandstone sector;
(g)
providing any third party with any
confidential information or
customer base of the applicant;
(h)
disclosing to the second respondent,
the applicant’s pricing
structure, quotation formulae and confidential information; and
(i)
coaxing any of the applicant’s
employees to take up employment
with the second respondent, alternatively with any business
associated with the first respondent
and in competition with the
applicant’s business.
2.
The application is referred to oral evidence on a date to be
allocated by the registrar of
this court, on the following issues:
(a)
Whether or
not a restraint of trade agreement is in existence between
the applicant and the first respondent (including whether or not it
has been waived by the applicant);
(b)
If so, whether
or not the applicant has a reasonable apprehension
that the first respondent has breached or will breach the restraint
of trade
agreement.
3.
The affidavits delivered by the parties (and in the case of
confirmatory affidavits, together
with the affidavits incorporated by
reference) shall constitute the evidence in chief of the witnesses
who deposed thereto and
the parties shall present these witnesses for
cross-examination at the hearing of oral evidence.
4.
The parties shall only be entitled to call additional witnesses if
leave thereto is granted
by the court.
5.
The first respondent shall pay the costs of
the application for
interim relief, including the costs of counsel on scale C.
6.
The costs of the application for final relief
shall be determined by
the court hearing the oral evidence.
JUDGMENT
Sibisi AJ
[1]
This is an
urgent application
[1]
for an
interdict enforcing a restraint of trade agreement
[2]
entered into between the applicant and the first respondent.
[3]
No relief is sought against the second respondent and it has filed a
notice to abide.
[2]
The notice
of motion reveals that the applicant intended to obtain interdictory
relief on 30 July 2024.
[4]
On 30
July 2024, the first respondent was directed to deliver her heads of
argument, practice note and list of authorities on or
before 2 August
2024 and this matter was then adjourned to 6 August 2024. The parties
were given leave to approach the Senior Civil
Judge in order to ask
for preference on 6 August 2024 which was granted. The papers were
exchanged including an answering affidavit,
replying affidavit and
heads of argument.
[3]
The
applicant conducts business as a supplier of sandstone, quartzite,
slate tiles and related products under the name and style
of The
Sandstone Story and it is based at Unit […], B[…] Bars,
2 Moffit Drive, Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal. The first
respondent’s
husband, Eugen Von Maltitz (“Eugen”) was the 100 per cent
shareholder in the applicant. In December
2023, Eugen sold his shares
in an agreement which included the sale of shares, restraints of
trade
[5]
and ancillary
agreements. The shares were sold to Moore Lake Enterprises (Pty) Ltd
(“Moore Lake”) for an amount equal
to R4 750 000.
According to the applicant, the first respondent concluded a
restraint of trade agreement with the applicant.
The first respondent
played a crucial role in the business operations of the applicant
before the sale of shares by Eugen. Even
though the applicant had
Eugen as its sole director and 100 per cent shareholder, the first
respondent was involved in its establishment
and in the conduct of
the business from day one and they regarded it as a family business.
[4]
The applicant’s business
involved the sourcing and supplying of
natural stone products, including cladding and tiling, to the
construction industry. It
initially started off its operations within
the borders of the Republic of South Africa and it expanded to other
countries, including
but not limited to Mauritius, Madagascar,
Zanzibar, Maldives, Reunion and Namibia. There were various
trademarks of the applicant’s
business that were registered in
the name of Gisela Elizabeth von Maltitz, the daughter of Eugen and
the first respondent who was
also employed in the business which grew
substantially and traded profitably. Eugen and his family decided to
leave the applicant’s
business because of age, intended to
semi-retire and focus their attention on their other business
interests which were less demanding
on their time. Consequently, they
sold the business and Eugen’s shareholding in the applicant.
[5]
It is common cause that the first
respondent signed a restraint of
trade agreement but its validity is contested. The agreement was
meant to protect the rights and
interests of the applicant with
regards to the activities of its business by imposing a restriction
on the first respondent upon
the sale of the shares to Moore Lake.
[6]
The applicant submits that the
first respondent breached the
restraint undertakings and that this has left the applicant with no
option but to protect its rights
by enforcing the undertakings given
by the first respondent in terms of the agreement.
[7]
The first
respondent submits that the applicant seeks an order that would
effectively have the effect of a final relief and that
it has failed
to establish the requirements for an interim interdict. The first
respondent wants this court to find that the effect
of the relief is
final in nature and that the dispute of facts be dealt with in
accordance with the principles laid down in
Plascon-Evans
Paints Ltd v Van Riebeeck Paints (Pty) Ltd.
[6]
According to the first respondent, this court is compelled to only
grant the order if the facts stated by the first respondent’s
answering affidavit together with the admitted facts in the
applicant’s founding affidavit justify such an order.
[8]
The first respondent admits that
she signed and concluded a restraint
of trade agreement with the applicant. However, she contends that the
applicant’s attachment
of an unsigned copy of the agreement in
its founding affidavit, followed by the subsequent production of a
fully signed copy, signed
on behalf of the applicant, indicates that
the contract was not validly executed between the parties. The
applicant denies this
allegation.
[9]
The applicant contends that the
relief that it is seeking is interim
in nature. The applicant acknowledges that there are disputes of
fact, and submits that the
balance of convenience favours it, and
that there is a reasonable apprehension of harm. According to the
applicant, it has a
prima facie
right that has to be
protected. The applicant further argues that it is not open to the
first respondent to deny that a restraint
of trade agreement was
validly entered into and points out the contents of the letter dated
3 April 2024 emanating from the first
respondent’s attorneys
and addressed to the applicant’s attorneys with
inter alia,
the following contents:
“…
In view of
the fact that your client is not complying with the contract after
being afforded the opportunity to remedy its breach,
all our client’s
rights remain reserved. Unless we receive confirmation from you by
close of business on Friday, 5 April
2024, that your client has
complied with its obligations, our client will take its lead from
your client and not comply with their
restraint of trades until such
time as your client complies with their obligations in terms of the
Agreement…”
[10]
The letter referred to above was sent after the date
that appears on
the disputed restraint of trade agreement. The applicant invited this
court to consider whether there appears to
be a restraint of trade
agreement, whether it is at a risk of being breached and consider the
question of reasonable apprehension
of harm. Another letter dated 19
July 2024, after service of the application papers reads:
“…
that
unless confirmation is received by close of business on
5 APRIL
2024
that your client has complied with its obligations, our
client will take its lead from your client and not comply with their
restraint
of trade until such time as your client complies with their
obligations in terms of the Agreement…”
[11]
In argument, the applicant dealt with the period between
5 April to
19 July 2024. On 27 June 2024, Ms. Marlene Timm (“Timm”),
a private investigator with Coast to Coast Special
Investigators
employed by the applicant, contacted the first respondent to request
quotations as a potential supplier and installer
of stone cladding
for a ‘company’ known as JSI Services. The first
respondent is said to have given Timm the assurance
that she could
supply all sandstone cladding for future projects. According to the
applicant, the first respondent interacted with
Timm and sent an
email with address ‘
sales@[…]’
and also
sent a message to Timm confirming that the first respondent was Terra
Bella. The second respondent is a company that is
in direct
competition with the applicant. The applicant also pointed out that
it received an invoice for an entity that transports
stone which was
intended for the first respondent where she asked the transportation
company to move certain items at the premises
of the second
respondent.
[12]
In dealing
with the question of waiver that was previously raised by the first
respondent, the applicant’s counsel made reference
to clause 16
of the settlement agreement and pointed out that there cannot be any
waiver if not reduced to writing and signed by
both parties. This
point, was not vigorously argued by the first respondent, same
applies to the question of joinder and clause
2.1 of the same
agreement. Furthermore, the applicant argues that clause 6.3.1 of the
settlement agreement dealing with delivery
of the restraint of trade
agreements
[7]
was fully complied
with.
[13]
The applicant argued that the first respondent concluded
a restraint
of trade agreement in favour of the applicant, as evidenced by a
written communication in April 2024 confirming the
existence of such
an agreement and containing a threat of non-compliance.
[14]
On the
first respondent’s point of non-joinder, the applicant submits
that there was no need to join the other parties who
are party to the
settlement agreement.
[8]
[15]
The applicant argues that there is a protectable interest
and made
reference to the settlement agreement and in particular, clause 2 of
the restraint of trade agreement:
“
2.1.
The Restricted party acknowledges that in the course of his/her
direct or indirect
association
with the Company:
2.1.1. he/she
will gain access to the information;
2.1.2. he/she
acquired considerable know-how concerning, inter alia, the supply,
marketing, design, manufacture, packaging,
application and sale of
the products and services of the Company;
2.1.3. he/she
will have had the opportunity of forging close relationships with
customers of the Company;
2.1.4. he/she
will generally will have had the opportunity of learning and
acquiring trade secrets, business connections
and other information
pertaining to the business of the Company;
2.1.5.
the Information is of significant value to the Company and,
accordingly, that it
is of the utmost
importance to the Company that it remains confidential, and is not
divulged to or used by any person other than
the Company; and
2.1.6. that
the only effective and reasonable manner in which the rights of the
Company in respect of its trade secrets,
know-how business concern,
economic activity, industry advantages, business challenges, business
opportunities, business connections
and other information can be
protected is in terms of the restraints imposed upon him/her in terms
of this Agreement…”
[16]
The applicant points out that the first respondent’s
family
established the business and registered certain trademarks. According
to the applicant, this demonstrates that there is
a protectible
interest and that the applicant has a right to protect it.
[17]
The applicant seeks an order that is interim in nature
and asked that
the other issues be matters that are dealt with via oral evidence or
that the matter be referred to trial.
[18]
The first
respondent contends that the applicant’s application is
presented as interim relief but is, in fact, final in nature.
The
first respondent also argues that the alternative draft orders
submitted by the applicant do not alter this fact. It is because
of
the effect of the order (final in nature) that the first respondent
argues the relief sought should be looked at and it must
meet the
requirements for a final interdict. Furthermore, the first respondent
argues that in following that approach, the questions
of whether
there was a restraint of trade and breach, should be looked at
applying the principles of
Plascon-Evans.
[9]
[19]
The
first respondent points out that when the applicant instituted these
proceedings, it relied on a restraint of trade agreement
that was not
signed by it.
[10]
The
second respondent relies on the fact that the founding affidavit
attaches the restraint of trade agreement that was not signed
by the
applicant and argues therefore that it is invalid.
[11]
The
first respondent sought adverse inferences to be drawn against the
applicant because of this discrepancy.
[20]
The first respondent highlights what she perceives
as inconsistencies in the applicant’s case. It is also the
contention of
the first respondent that the conditions in terms of
the sale agreement were not fulfilled in order for a restraint of
trade to
come into effect and that the applicant created a difficulty
for itself. The first respondent contends that the applicant’s
explanation of the circumstances under which the agreement was signed
cannot be true. It is argued by the first respondent that
the
applicant has not made its case in the founding affidavit, and thus,
the court must rely on the version of the first respondent
and find
that the restraint of trade agreement was not concluded.
[21]
In her
supplementary affidavit,
[12]
the first respondent denies the allegations made against her and
states,
inter
alia,
as
follows:
“…
5.11
The averments that whilst allegedly at my house, Mr Masondo noticed
certain stone products
which the Applicant also sells are absolutely
untrue. I suspect that such averments were fabricated by
ADAM
to
try and convince the Court that I am in some way conducting business
in opposition to the Applicant, much the same way that Adam
has
fabricated a version of how the restraint of trade agreements were
signed by him on behalf of the applicant.
5.12
I do not make these allegations lightly, but until such time as I
received the founding
affidavit in these proceedings, I had laboured
under the assumption that the restraints of trade had been
counter-signed by Adam
on behalf of the applicant, after we left the
meeting at the business premises of the applicant, in December 2023.
When I received
the founding papers in these proceedings, it became
apparent that the restraint of trade agreements had not been signed
and I raised
the issue.”
[22]
It was argued on behalf of the first respondent that
the letter dated
3 April 2024 has some contents that can be referred to as “tongue
in cheek”. This letter suggests
that because the applicant is
yet to comply with certain obligations, the first respondent will
take its lead from the applicant
and not comply with their restraint
of trades until such time as the applicant complies with its
obligations in terms of the agreement.
According to the first
respondent, the specific comments that can be regarded as being in
“tongue in cheek” are the
following:
“…
you refer
to our client’s failures, refusals, breaches and unauthorized
conduct, harmful actions and omissions and apart from
mentioning
culpable homicide and murder, a third party reading your letter would
believe that our client is in serious breach of
the Agreement…”
[23]
The first
respondent maintains that the letter of 3 April 2024 does not
establish the existence of a restraint of trade. Furthermore,
she
argues that the applicant has failed to prove the existence of a
protectible interest.
[13]
It
was reiterated on behalf of the first respondent that this
application should be treated as one for final relief. It is the
first respondent’s case that there is no evidence suggesting
that an injury has been suffered or is reasonably apprehended.
[24]
It was contended on behalf of the first respondent that
the applicant
has not proven that the first respondent has taken up employment with
the second respondent or is acting as a front.
It was submitted that
her version cannot be regarded as being farfetched.
[25]
The first
respondent points out that there are unsubstantiated allegations made
by the applicant suggesting that the first respondent
has done work
at different sites, 6[…] M[…] Crescent, Brettenwood,
1[…] P[…] Road, Palm Lakes, Thanda
Game Reserve, Lot 42
and that there is no proof of the allegations and no confirmatory
affidavits in this regard. It is the submission
of the first
respondent that her version cannot be regarded as untenable. The
first respondent also argued that the applicant’s
case is
replete with unsubstantiated allegations and that no case has been
made at an interim relief level to support the allegation
of the
injury sustained or reasonably apprehended.
[14]
[26]
It was also argued on behalf of the first respondent
that in the
event that the interim relief is granted in favour of the applicant,
the further issues that require determination
will probably be best
resolved by referring the matter to trial as opposed to the hearing
of oral evidence and ask that this application
be dismissed with
costs alternatively, in the event interim relief is granted, that the
costs be reserved or further alternatively
be costs in the cause.
[27]
Restraint
of trade agreements are not special contracts when compared to any
other type of contract. Such agreements give effect
to a wide range
of circumstances. The court had the following to say in
Den
Braven SA (Pty) Ltd v Pillay and Another:
[15]
‘…
spanning
the spectrum from the hugely successful businessperson who sells the
business that he or she has built up for massive amounts
of money and
is required to sign a restraint of trade agreement in order that the
purchaser may protect its investment, to relatively
humble employees
who may be required to sign such an agreement as a matter of rote and
possibly
in terrorem
to deter them from seeking a more
advantageous position…’
[28]
The court also stated that where a business seeks to
protect itself
against the use by its former employee of confidential information,
trade secrets and/or customer connections, that
there is no reason
for the courts to view this with disfavour, unless the bounds of
public policy are overstepped in which case
the court will withhold
its assistance.
[29]
The
approach in
Basson
v Chilwan and Others
[16]
should be followed in adjudicating a dispute relating to restraint of
trade. Four questions were identified that should be asked
to
consider the reasonableness of a restraint of trade:
‘
(a)
Is there an interest of the one
party which is deserving of protection at the termination of the
agreement?
(b)
Is such interest being prejudiced by
the other party?
(c)
If so, does such interest so weigh
up qualitatively and quantitatively against the interest of the other
party that the latter should
not be economically inactive and
unproductive?
(d)
Is there another facet of public policy having nothing to do with the
relationship between the parties but which requires that
the
restraint should either be maintained or rejected?’
[30]
Despite suggestions by the first respondent that the
restraint of
trade agreement was not properly concluded, correspondence from her
attorneys and a copy that was produced by the
applicant suggests that
there was a valid agreement that was concluded.
[31]
There is no
doubt that a protectable interest exists because at the time of sale,
the parties involved decided that, amongst others,
restraint of
trades were going to be part of the agreement. There is goodwill
attached to the applicant because of the number of
years the
Maltitz’s have been involved in the business and having caused
various trademarks to be registered. The very nature
and purpose of
concluding restraint of trade agreements is to ensure that owners of
new businesses are able to be protected from
competition by the
sellers of the same business.
[17]
[32]
The first respondent appears to have been involved in
the business
activities of the second respondent, after the conclusion of the
restraint of trade agreement. Nonetheless, one of
the reasons the
first respondent’s family chose to sell their shares in the
applicant was their desire to exit the industry
due to age and other
business interests. Therefore, should interim relief be granted,
there cannot be any prejudice to the first
respondent if she is
genuinely not part of the activities in competition with the
applicant.
[33]
It is strange that the first respondent has chosen to
oppose the
interim relief sought by the applicant. It is noteworthy that the
first respondent has chosen to oppose a matter which,
in her own
words, cannot adversely affect her because according to her, she does
not have any interest in the industry that she
was previously
involved in when she was part of the applicant.
[34]
The
argument that the order sought has the effect of final relief cannot
be sustained. Whilst it might be understandable why the
first
respondent adopted this approach, the first respondent should not
have opposed the interim relief. There is no indication
that the
applicant waived the restraint of trade. Based on the facts
underpinning this application, I am not convinced that other
parties
should have been joined in this application.
[18]
[35]
The applicant has succeeded in demonstrating that it
has a legitimate
protectable interest which deserves protection.
[36]
With regards to the other issues that cannot be dealt
with at this
stage, the applicant seeks that the matter referred to oral evidence
as opposed to trial. I am inclined to refer this
matter to oral
evidence.
[37]
I am satisfied that the applicant has met the requirements
for
interim relief.
Order
[38]
In the result, the following order is made:
1.
The first respondent is
interdicted and restrained pending the final
outcome of the application, in the geographical area of Sub-Saharan
Africa, Mauritius,
Madagascar, Zanzibar, Maldives and Reunion from,
directly or indirectly, either as principal, agent, partner,
representative, shareholder,
director, trustee, beneficiary or
employee:
(a)
Encouraging, enticing, inciting or
persuading or inducing any
employee of the applicant to terminate his or her employment with the
applicant, or to attempt to do
so;
(b)
Soliciting orders from any other supplier
of similar or competing
products and services as those of the applicant;
(c)
canvassing for business in respect
of similar or competing products
and services with customers of the applicant and any new or
prospective customers;
(d)
canvassing for business in respect
of similar or competing products
and services or with any other supplier, distributor, reseller, agent
or the like as those of
the applicant;
(e)
holding any direct or indirect interest
in any business, entity,
trust or person who competes with the applicant, such interest to
include but not be limited to employment,
advisor, contractor,
financier, owner, shareholder or consultant;
(f)
unlawfully competing with
the applicant in the sandstone sector;
(g)
providing any third party with any
confidential information or
customer base of the applicant;
(h)
disclosing to the second respondent,
the applicant’s pricing
structure, quotation formulae and confidential information; and
(i)
coaxing any of the applicant’s
employees to take up employment
with the second respondent, alternatively with any business
associated with the first respondent
and in competition with the
applicant’s business.
2.
The application is referred to oral evidence on a date to be
allocated by the registrar of
this court, on the following issues:
(a)
Whether or
not a restraint of trade agreement is in existence between
the applicant and the first respondent (including whether or not it
has been waived by the applicant);
(b)
If so, whether
or not the applicant has a reasonable apprehension
that the first respondent has breached or will breach the restraint
of trade
agreement.
3.
The affidavits delivered by the parties (and in the case of
confirmatory affidavits, together
with the affidavits incorporated by
reference) shall constitute the evidence in chief of the witnesses
who deposed thereto and
the parties shall present these witnesses for
cross-examination at the hearing of oral evidence.
4.
The parties shall only be entitled to call additional witnesses if
leave thereto is granted
by the court.
5.
The first respondent shall pay the costs of the application for
interim relief, including
the costs of counsel on scale C.
6.
The costs of the application for final relief shall be determined by
the court hearing the
oral evidence.
______________
SIBISI AJ
Date of hearing:
18 September 2024
Date of judgment:
18 October 2024
Appearances
For applicant:
A.V. Voormolen SC
Instructed by:
Goodes & Co. Attorneys
Block A Ground Floor
22 Rivonia Road
Entrance Via: 1 Michelle
Street
Morningside, Sandton
Ref: GS Goodes/ib/MAT2593
c/o Macgregor Erasmus
Attorneys
1 Bond Square
12 Browns Road, Point,
Durban
Ref: Mr Adam Clark
For respondent:
S Hoar
Instructed by:
Geyser Du Toit Louw & Kitching Inc.
1 Old Main Road
Manor House
Braehead Office Park
Kloof, 3610
Ref: ATK/DPR/T892T
[1]
Rule
6(12) of the Uniform Rules.
[2]
Reddy v
Siemens Telecommunications (Pty) Ltd
2007 (2) SA 486
(SCA); (2007) 28 ILJ 317 (SCA); see also
Basson
v Chilwan and Others
[1993] ZASCA 61
;
1993
(3) SA 742
(A); see also
Da
Silva v Janowski
1982
(3) SA 205
A.
[3]
Twentieth
Century Fox Film Corporation and Another v Anthony Black Films (Pty)
Ltd
1982
(3) SA 582 (W).
[4]
See notice of motion dated 12 July 2024.
[5]
It
is in dispute whether the restraints of trade were properly
concluded.
[6]
Plascon-Evans
Paints Ltd v Van Riebeeck Paints (Pty) Ltd
1984
(3) SA 623 (A).
[7]
Lufuno
Mphaphuli and Associates (Pty) Ltd v Andrews and Another
2009
(4) SA 529
(CC) para 80 states that: “The conclusion reached
in paragraph 79 above is in accordance with common law principles
regarding
waiver of rights. Waiver is first and foremost a matter of
intention; the test to determine intention to waive is objective,
the alleged intention being judged by its outward manifestations
adjudicated from the perspective of the other party, as a reasonable
person. Our courts take cognisance of the fact that persons do
not as a rule lightly abandon their rights. Waiver is not
presumed;
it must be alleged and proved; not only must the acts allegedly
constituting the wavier be shown to have occurred,
but it must also
appear clearly and unequivocally from those facts or otherwise that
there was an intention to waive. The onus
is strictly on the party
asserting waiver; it must be shown that the other party with full
knowledge of the right decided to
abandon it, whether expressly or
by conduct plainly inconsistent with the intention to enforce it.
Waiver is a question of fact
and is difficult to establish.”
[8]
In DE van Loggerenberg & E Bertelsmann
Erasmus:
Superior Court Practice
2023:
‘
The
mere fact that a party may have an interest in the outcome of the
litigation does not warrant a non-joinder plea. The rule
is that any
person is a necessary party and should be joined if such person has
a direct substantial interest in any order the
Court might make, or
such an order cannot be sustained or carried into effect without
prejudicing that party, unless the Court
is satisfied that he has
waived his rights to be joined’. Erasmus Superior Court
Practice and See Rule 10 of the Uniform
Rules of Court.
[9]
Plascon-Evans
above fn 6.
[10]
See
para 20.5 at 10 of bundle 1: “Such restraint of trade
agreement is, in fact, reflected as an attachment to the Sale
Agreement on page 53 thereof, headed ‘
Restraint
of Trade Agreement’
between
Lila and the Applicant.”
[11]
See
bundle 2 at 107.
[12]
See
bundle 6 at 506-512.
[13]
Super
Safes (Pty) Ltd and Others v Voulgarides and Others
1975
(2) SA 783 (W).
[14]
Swissborough
Diamond Mines (Pty) Ltd and Others v Government of The Republic of
South Africa and Others
1999
(2) SA 279
(T);
National
Director of Public Prosecutions v Zuma
[2009] ZASCA 1
;
2009
(2) SA 277
(SCA).
[15]
Den
Braven SA (Pty) Ltd v Pillay and Another
2008 (6) SA 229
(D) para 35.
[16]
Basson
above
fn 2 at 767: (Original Afrikaans version): “Vier vrae moet in
dié verband gestel word:
(a)
Is daar 'n belang van die een party
wat na afloop van die ooreenkoms beskerming verdien?
(b)
Word so 'n belang deur die ander party
in gedrang gebring?
(c)
Indien wel, weeg sodanige belang
kwalitatief en kwantitatief op teen die belang van die ander party
dat hy ekonomies nie onaktief
en onproduktief moet wees nie?
(d)
Is daar 'n ander faset van openbare
belang wat met die verhouding tussen die partye niks te make het nie
maar wat verg dat die
beperking gehandhaaf moet word, al dan nie?
(Laasgenoemde vraag kom nie hier ter sprake nie.)”
[17]
Magna
Alloys and Research (SA) (Pty) Ltd. v Ellis
1984
(4) SA 847 (A).
[18]
Webster
v Mitchell
1948
(1) SA 1186
(W).
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