Case Law[2023] ZAGPJHC 955South Africa
Marindafontein (Pty) Ltd v Stopforth and Another (2022/033875) [2023] ZAGPJHC 955 (16 August 2023)
Headnotes
Summary:
Judgment
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# South Africa: South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg
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## Marindafontein (Pty) Ltd v Stopforth and Another (2022/033875) [2023] ZAGPJHC 955 (16 August 2023)
Marindafontein (Pty) Ltd v Stopforth and Another (2022/033875) [2023] ZAGPJHC 955 (16 August 2023)
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sino date 16 August 2023
REPUBLIC
OF SOUTH AFRICA
IN
THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA
GAUTENG
DIVISION, JOHANNESBURG
Case Number:
2022/033875
REPORTABLE:
NO
OF
INTEREST TO OTHER JUDGES: NO
REVISED
In
the matter between:
In
the matter between:
MARINDAFONTEIN
(PTY) LTD
Applicant
and
GLEN
STOPFORTH
First
Respondent
KEVIN
REECE
Second
Respondent
Delivered:
16 August 2023 – This judgment was handed down
electronically by circulation to the parties' representatives by
email, being
uploaded to
CaseLines
and by release to SAFLII.
The date and time for hand-down is deemed to be 10:00 on 16 August
2023.
Summary
:
Eviction Application –
Rei vindicatio
requirements
– Applicant must show he/she is the owner of the property; and
that the respondent is in possession of that property
- Second
respondent failed to discharge onus resting on him to prove lawful
occupation of the property – Second respondent’s
version
of events was uncorroborated and the evidence submitted in support of
his case was insufficient – No real, genuine
or
bona fide
disputes of fact were raised – Jurisdictional requirements of
rei vindicatio
were
met – Eviction granted.
JUDGMENT
PG LOUW, AJ
Introduction
[1]
The applicant (Marindafontein) seeks the
eviction of the second respondent (Mr Rees) from a certain
hangar, Hangar H 19/3 (the
hangar), situated on the Petit Airfield.
The facts
[2]
Marindafontein is the owner of the
immovable property on which the Petit Airfield is located.
[3]
Mr Rees is in occupation of the hangar.
The first respondent (Mr Stopforth) is no longer in occupation
of the hangar. No
relief is sought against Mr Stopforth.
[4]
The
deponent to Marindafontein’s founding affidavit (Mr Coetzee) is
the sole director of Marindafontein.
[1]
[5]
According to Mr Coetzee, he is also the
sole director of Kitplanes For Africa (Pty) Ltd (Kitplanes) which
owns 997 of the 1000 issued
shares in Marindafontein. He
purchased the shares in June 2022 from Hugo Visser (Mr Visser).
[6]
Mr Rees is one of nineteen plaintiffs who
have instituted an action out of this court under case number
22/27374 against Marindafontein,
Mr Visser, Elizabeth Maryna Visser
(Mrs Visser) (jointly referred to as “the Vissers”) and
Mr Coetzee (the action proceedings).
In the action proceedings,
the plaintiffs essentially claim that the sale of shares agreement
between the Vissers and Mr Coetzee
be set aside and declared
void
ab initio
,
together with ancillary relief.
Issues to be
determined
[7]
Mr Rees initially contended that there has
been a misjoinder in respect of Mr Stopforth because the
application was not served
on Mr Stopforth. Mr Stopforth has
subsequently been served with the application and Mr Rees no longer
persists with the misjoinder
issue.
[8]
It was also initially disputed that the
Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land
Act 19 of 1998 (the
Act) does not find application in this matter.
Mr Rees no longer persists with this denial either.
[9]
Mr Rees contends that Mr Coetzee has not
been lawfully appointed as the sole director of Marindafontein on the
grounds set out in
the particulars of claim in the action. These
grounds are summarised in Mr Rees’ answering affidavit as
follows:
“
10.
In summary, the purported share sale agreement in terms of which Mr
Coetzee claims to have secured
the right to be appointed as a
director of [Marindafontein] falls to be set aside and declared void
ab initio
.
This is because such purported sale was fraudulently concluded
between the shareholders of [Marindafontein], being Hugo Visser
and
Elizabeth Maryna Visser … and Mr Coetzee or his nominee
company, [Kitplanes]. The purported sale also falls to be set
aside
in that it was concluded in contravention of the express provisions
of [certain sections] of the
Companies Act 71 of 2008
.
11.
In simple terms Mr Coetzee has hijacked and taken control over
[Marindafontein] unlawfully.
He now seeks to impose his unilateral
terms over the occupants and owners of the airfield hangars situated
on [Petit Airfield].
These are the plaintiffs in the [action].”
[10]
The second main issue I need to decide is
whether Mr Rees has a right of occupation of the hangar.
[11]
Marindafontein seeks the eviction of Mr
Rees from the hangar and a cost order against Mr Rees. Mr Rees
seeks the dismissal
of the application with costs. Neither
party wishes for the matter to be referred to oral evidence or to
trial.
The version of
Marindafontein
[12]
Mr Coetzee says that pursuant to him
acquiring the shares, Mr Visser handed all the financial and legal
documents of Marindafontein
to him. These documents included
lease agreements in terms of which the hangars on the Petit Airfield
are rented by various
owners of airplanes housed at the airfield. In
scrutinising the lease agreements, he realised that Mr Rees did not
have a
lease agreement for the hangar. At that stage he was
under the impression that Mr Stopforth was the sole occupant of
the hangar.
[13]
Mr Coetzee also states that approximately a
month before the founding affidavit was deposed to on 14 October
2022, he “encountered”
Mr Rees who told him that he had
“bought” the hangar from Mr Stopforth but that he knew
that the so called “sale”
was of no force and effect
and that he was unlawfully occupying the hangar.
[14]
Petit Airfield is zoned as agricultural
land. Therefore, it cannot be sub-divided and Mr Stopforth
could not have acquired
ownership of the land that the hangar is
situated upon. Mr Stopforth could also not have acquired
ownership of the structure
of the hangar, which is a permanent
structure, as it has acceded to the land.
[15]
Mr Rees does not have Marindafontein’s
consent to occupy the hangar and consequently his occupation of the
hangar is unlawful.
The version of Mr Rees
[16]
The Vissers became owners of the majority
share in Marindafontein during 2009. The Vissers were directors
of Marindafontein
until June 2022. During this period, the
Vissers “devised a scheme” on behalf of Marindafontein
which consisted
of the following:
“
30.1
Selling, alternatively procuring the sale of structures or buildings
known as hangars on the property which
had been built to house
aircraft and related equipment [‘the hangars’] to the
occupiers or users (‘the hangar
sales’);
30.2
Leasing, alternatively conferring rights of use to purchasers of the
aforesaid hangars of the portion
of land on which the hangar/s had
been built (‘the hangar leases’).
31.
Each of the plaintiffs [in the action], as well as Mr Coetzee and [Mr
Rees] concluded hangar
sales and hangar leases with [Marindafontein]
represented by the Vissers.”
[17]
Although
some of the hangar leases are in the form of written documents, the
Vissers were not diligent in administering and recording
the terms of
the hangar leases with the plaintiffs in the action. Mr Rees
states that “there is no written document
reflecting the terms
on which I occupy” the hangar.
[2]
[18]
According to Mr Rees, he, together with Mr
Coetzee and the plaintiffs in the action, were promised a share in
Marindafontein by
the Vissers. Mr Stopforth purchased the
hangar from Marindafontein during what he refers to as “the
Visser period”.
[19]
As to how exactly Mr Rees acquired his
rights, he states the following:
“
47.
Approximately three years ago Mr Stopforth who knew I was looking to
purchase a hangar at the
airfield called me. He told me he has [sic]
selling his hangar and was looking for a buyer. I was interested and
in due course
I purchased my hangar from Mr Stopforth and paid him
for it. When I say that I purchased my hangar from Mr Stopforth I
need to
emphasise that in so doing Mr Stopforth ceded and made over
all of his right and title in the hangar sale and hangar lease
agreement
he had concluded with [Marindafontein] during the Visser
period when [Marindafontein] was represented by the Vissers. In other
words in consequence of my purchase of my hangar I stepped into the
shoes of Mr Stopforth in so far as his relationship with
[Marindafontein]
is concerned. The Vissers are well aware of Mr
Stopforth having sold his hangar to me.”
[20]
Mr
Rees says that he received an invoice from Marindafontein every month
and he made payment to Marindafontein in respect of the
hangar lease
until June 2022.
[3]
A
number of invoices are attached to the answering affidavit in support
of this allegation.
[4]
[21]
He
says that he also periodically received confirmations of ground
rental and utilities from Marindafontein and attached an example
dated 25 August 2021 to the answering affidavit.
[5]
[22]
Regarding the “encounter” he
had with Mr Coetzee after Mr Coetzee had purchased the Vissers’
shares, Mr Rees states
that:
“
59.
During this meeting he made all sorts of statements about how he had
now taken over the whole
airfield and wanted to make various
improvements including improving security and the aesthetics of the
whole place. We discussed
changing the arrangement I had in place
whereby I paid my monthly hangar lease payment through Mr Stopforth
to [Marindafontein].
Mr Coetzee agreed that I should pay
[Marindafontein] directly. I duly did so. …”.
[23]
Copies
of proof of payments made by Mr Rees directly to Marindafontein are
attached to the answering affidavit.
[6]
[24]
During
the Visser period, Mr Rees also, with the consent of Marindafontein
according to him, made various improvements to the hangar,
including
flooring, installation of a bathroom/toilet and installation of a
kitchenette. Certain structural improvements were also
paid for by Mr
Rees. According to Mr Rees, Mr Coetzee seeks to deprive Mr Rees
of the money spent in improving the hangar
and that the eviction
application is “part of his strategy to unlawfully enrich
himself”.
[7]
Authority of Mr
Coetzee
[25]
Mr Hollander who appeared for
Marindafontein, submitted that Mr Coetzee is the sole director of
Marindafontein as appears from the
company search referred to above.
Mr Rees’ challenge to the authority of Mr Coetzee is
premised on the allegations
made and the relief sought in the action.
But, the relief sought by Mr Rees (and the other plaintiffs) in
the action has
no bearing on Mr Coetzee’s appointment as the
director of Marindafontein. No relief is sought in the action
to have
Mr Coetzee removed as a director of Marindafontein or to the
effect that his appointment as a director is declared unlawful. In
other words, even if the relief sought by Mr Rees and the other
plaintiffs in the action was to be granted, Mr Coetzee would remain,
as has been the position since June 2022, prior to the institution of
the application, the sole director of Marindafontein. I
agree
with Mr Hollander in this regard.
[26]
Mr
Bishop, who appeared for Mr Rees, submitted in this regard, with
reference to
Namasthethu
Electrical v City of Cape Town
[8]
that fraud unravels all. As a general proposition this is, of
course, correct. In other words, so the contention goes,
if the
sale of shares agreement is declared void
ab
initio
on the basis of fraud, then Mr Coetzee’s appointment as a
director and hence representative of Marindafontein will have arisen
due to a fraud.
[27]
Even if this is so, the point of the matter
is that no proceedings are pending in terms of which Mr Rees seeks
the setting aside
of Mr Coetzee’s appointment as director or
the stay of the eviction application pending the outcome of the
action. In
other words, as things stand, even if the relief
sought by Mr Rees and the other plaintiffs in the action is granted,
and even
though fraud unravels all, Mr Coetzee’s appointment as
the sole director of Marindafontein prevails, unless and until set
aside.
[28]
Additionally, Mr Coetzee is also the sole
director of Kitplanes, which is the majority shareholder in
Marindafontein.
[29]
In the circumstances, the challenge to Mr
Coetzee’s authority is without merit.
[30]
Even
if I am wrong in this regard, in my view, the remedy for Mr Rees’
challenge to the authority of Mr Coetzee lies in Rule
7 of the
Uniform Rules.
[9]
Mr Rees
did not avail himself of the procedure so provided.
[31]
In
Ganes
and Another v Telecom Namibia Ltd
Streicher JA stated the position as follows:
[10]
“
In
the founding affidavit filed on behalf of the respondent Hanke said
that he was duly authorised to depose to the affidavit. In
his
answering affidavit the first appellant stated that he had no
knowledge as to whether Hanke was duly authorised to depose to
the
founding affidavit on behalf of the respondent, that he did not admit
that Hanke was so authorised and that he put the respondent
to the
proof thereof. In my view, it is irrelevant whether Hanke had been
authorised to depose to the founding affidavit.
The
deponent to an affidavit in motion proceedings need not be authorised
by the party concerned to depose to the affidavit. It
is the
institution of the proceedings and the prosecution thereof which must
be authorised
” [Emphasis added.]
[32]
In
Unlawful
Occupiers, School Site v City of Johannesburg
[11]
the Supreme Court of Appeal referred to its decision in
Ganes
and held that in the event of a respondent challenging the authority
of a person acting on behalf of the application, the remedy
lies in
Rule 7(1). Brand JA said:-
“…
now
that the new Rule 7(1) remedy is available, a party who wishes to
raise the issue of authority should not adopt the procedure
followed
by the appellants in this matter, ie by way of argument based on no
more than a textual analysis of the words used by
a deponent in an
attempt to prove his or her own authority. This method invariably
resulted in a costly and wasteful investigation,
which normally leads
to the conclusion that the application was indeed authorised. After
all, there is rarely any motivation for
deliberately launching an
unauthorised application.”
[33]
In
Eskom
v Soweto City Council
Flemming DJP said the following:
[12]
“
I
find the regularity of arguments about the authority of a deponent
unnecessary and wasteful. A Rule of Court or a formal practice
direction must be honoured despite any arbitrariness. It functions
even when it lacks convincing logic or utility in its creation
or in
its survival. The present issue may be decided in accordance with
principle without interference from constraining directives
because
there is now, ordinarily, no prescribed formula for proving
authority either as a routine prerequisite for issuing
an application
or otherwise. See
Administrator, Transvaal v Mponyane and Others
1990 (4) SA 407
(W);
Brown v Oosthuizen en ‘n Ander
1980
(2) SA 155
(O) at 162. The care displayed in the past about proof of
authority was rational. It was inspired by the fear that a person may
deny that he was party to litigation carried on in his name. His
signature to the process, or when that does not eventuate, formal
proof of authority would avoid undue risk to the opposite party, to
the administration of justice and sometimes even to his own
attorney.
(Compare
Viljoen v Federated Trust Ltd
1971 (1) SA 750
(O) at 752D-F and the authorities there quoted.) The developed view,
adopted in Court Rule 7(1), is that the risk is adequately
managed on
a different level. If the attorney is authorised to bring the
application on behalf of the applicant, the application
necessarily
is that of the applicant.
There is no need that any other person,
whether he be a witness or someone who becomes involved especially in
the context of authority,
should additionally be authorised
. It
is therefore sufficient to know whether or not the attorney acts with
authority. As to when and how the attorney’s authority
should
be proved, the Rule-maker made a policy decision. Perhaps because the
risk is minimal that an attorney will act for a person
without
authority to do so, proof is dispensed with except only if the other
party challenges the authority. See Rule 7(1).
Courts should
honour that approach. Properly applied, that should lead to the
elimination of the many pages of resolutions, delegations
and
substitutions still attached to applications by some litigants,
especially certain financial institutions.” [Emphasis
added.]
[34]
For these reasons, Mr Rees’ challenge
to Mr Coetzee’s authority is misconceived.
Mr Rees’
occupation of the hangar
[35]
Before I consider Mr Rees’ version as
to why he is entitled to occupy the hangar, it needs to be said that
Marindafontein’s
cause of action is premised on the
rei vindicatio
.
[36]
In this regard it is trite that the
jurisdictional facts which an applicant seeking to obtain vindicatory
relief has to show are:
(i) that the applicant is the owner of the
property (movable or immovable); and (ii) that the respondent is in
possession of that
property.
[37]
In
respect of the
rei
vindicatio
,
Jansen JA stated the following in
Chetty
v Naidoo
:
[13]
“
It
is inherent in the nature of ownership that possession of the
res
should normally be with the owner, and it follows that no other
person may withhold it from the owner unless he is vested with
some
right enforceable against the owner (e.g., a right of retention or a
contractual right).
The owner, in
instituting a
rei vindicatio
,
need, therefore, do no more than allege and prove that he is the
owner and that the defendant is holding the
res
– the
onus
being on the defendant to allege and establish any right to continue
to hold against the owner
…. But
if he goes beyond alleging merely his ownership and the defendant
being in possession …, other considerations
come into play. If
he concedes in his particulars of claim that the defendant has an
existing right to hold (e.g., by conceding
a lease or a hire-purchase
agreement, without also alleging that it has been terminated …)
his statement of claim obviously
discloses no cause of action. If he
does not concede an existing right to hold, but, nevertheless, says
that a right to hold now
would have existed but for a termination
which has taken place, then
ex facie
the statement of claim he must at least prove the termination, which
might, in the case of a contract, also entail proof of the
terms of
the contract.” [Emphasis added.]
[38]
The
right to ownership has been described as the most comprehensive right
a person can have in respect of a
res
.
[14]
[39]
In
BLC
Plant Company (Pty) Ltd v Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality
,
[15]
Mathebula J referred to
Gien
and stated further that:
“
This
right is enshrined in section 25(1) of the Constitution of the
Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996. In matters of this
nature
for an owner to succeed in his action, he must prove on a balance of
probabilities the following viz:- ownership, the property
is still in
existence and clearly identifiable and lastly that the defendant has
possession or detention of it.
This
right is carefully protected by the courts
.”
[Emphasis added.]
[40]
The two jurisdictional facts for
vindicatory relief are common cause in this matter: (i)
Marindafontein is the owner of the immovable
property upon which the
hangar is situated; and (ii) Mr Rees is in possession of the hangar.
[41]
Mr Rees relies on the following versions
for his entitlement to remain in occupation of the hangar.
[42]
Firstly,
he relies on the conclusion of a hangar sale and hangar lease with
Marindafontein represented by the Vissers.
[16]
There is no written hangar sale or hangar lease agreement
concluded between Mr Rees and Marindafontein. I return to
this
aspect below.
[43]
Secondly,
Mr Rees relies on a purchase agreement in respect of the hangar
concluded with Mr Stopforth. He says Mr Stopforth
ceded all of
his right and title in the hangar sale and hangar lease agreement to
Mr Rees.
[17]
I pause to
mention that evidence of the purchase price and payment thereof do
not appear in the answering affidavit.
[44]
A
third version is relied on in the heads of argument filed on behalf
of Mr Rees. It is contended that if the court is disinclined
to
accept Mr Rees’ version that he entered into an oral hangar
lease agreement with Marindafontein when represented by the
Vissers,
it is clear that a tacit contract was established between
Marindafontein and Mr Rees. Reliance is placed on
McDonald
v Young
[18]
for the submission that the conduct of Marindafontein over the past
three consecutive years (until Mr Coetzee became involved)
justifies
the inference that there was consensus between them on the essential
terms of the hangar lease.
[19]
[45]
Lacking from all three versions are
allegations pertaining to when exactly and where these agreements
were concluded. The
terms of these agreements are not pleaded
sufficiently either.
[46]
Mr
Rees incorporated the contents of the particulars of claim in the
action into his answering affidavit and confirmed that the
contents
thereof are true and correct.
[20]
In the particulars of claim reliance is placed on an agreement
of sale of movable property and an agreement of lease.
[21]
These agreements are unsigned. The allegations set out in the
particulars of claim include
inter
alia
:
[46.1]
That
the plaintiffs in the action “at varying times during the
Visser period concluded hangar sales and land leases with the
Vissers”.
[22]
[46.2]
The
plaintiffs paid and continue to pay varying amounts of money at the
instance of the Vissers, alternatively Marindafontein.
[23]
[46.3]
The
plaintiffs in the action concluded written hangar sales and land
leases with the Vissers, alternatively Marindafontein, alternatively
the Vissers’ appointed nominee/s.
[24]
[47]
The
incorporation of the allegations contained in the particulars of
claim into the answering affidavit cannot assist Mr Rees in
this
application. It is permissible for a litigant to plead in the
alternative, but it is not permissible to give evidence
in the
alternative.
[25]
[48]
I agree with Mr Hollander’s
submission that the version of Mr Rees is not consistent. In
fact, the version of Mr Rees
vacillates.
[49]
Something
needs to be said about the invoices relied upon by Mr Rees in support
of his version that he made payment of rental to
Marindafontein.
None of these invoices
[26]
were issued to Mr Rees. They are all invoices issued to
Mr Stopforth.
[50]
The
letter from Marindafontein in relation to monthly levies and ground
rental for the period August 2021 to July 2022, dated 25
August
2021,
[27]
is not addressed to
Mr Rees and its contents cannot assist him either. Copies of
proof of payments relied upon by Mr Rees
[28]
although indicating payments to Marindafontein, bear reference to a
hanger “H19/2”. The hangar in question is
known as
“H19/3”.
[51]
The version of Mr Rees is not corroborated
by Mr Stopforth. During argument, the reason advanced for the
absence of a confirmatory
affidavit by Mr Stopforth was that, as
stated in Marindafontein’s replying affidavit, Mr Stopforth is
apparently ill. This
does, however, not amount to an
explanation put forward by Mr Rees for the absence of a confirmatory
affidavit by Mr Stopforth.
[52]
Mr
Visser, on the other hand, has indeed filed a confirmatory affidavit
in corroboration of Marindafontein’s version.
[29]
[53]
Mr Bishop submitted that the probabilities
favour Mr Rees. He made the submission on the basis that it
would be improbable
for Mr Rees to be paying Marindafontein for a
period of three years if there was no lawful basis upon which he
occupied the hangar.
The money spent by Mr Rees on improvements
to the hangar also negates against the absence of a lawful basis to
occupy the
hangar. The difficulty with these submissions, to my
mind, is that as I have already pointed out, the payments alleged to
have been made by Mr Rees seemingly relate to a different hangar, and
not the hangar in question. In so far as the improvements
are
concerned, no proof or corroboration at all have been proffered by Mr
Rees in this regard, save for photos depicting what the
hangar and
its contents look like. There is no evidence before the court
of the improvements made or that Mr Rees in fact
paid for it. These
submissions accordingly take the matter no further in light of the
absence of evidence in support thereof,
with respect.
[54]
In the circumstances, I find that Mr Rees
has not discharged the onus resting on him in terms of
Chetty
to prove a lawful basis for occupying the hangar. My finding is
guided by judgments of the Supreme Court of Appeal referred
to below.
[55]
In
Wightman
t/a JW Construction v Headfour (Pty) Ltd
,
[30]
the Supreme Court of Appeal set out what would constitute a
bona
fide
dispute
of fact.
“
A
real, genuine and
bona fide
dispute of fact can exist only where the
court is satisfied that the party who purports to raise the dispute
has in his affidavit
seriously and unambiguously addressed the fact
said to be disputed
. There will of
course be instances where a bare denial meets the requirement because
there is no other way open to the disputing
party and nothing more
can therefore be expected of him. But even that may not be sufficient
if the fact averred lies purely within
the knowledge of the averring
party and no basis is laid for disputing the veracity or accuracy of
the averment.
When the facts averred are
such that the disputing party must necessarily possess knowledge of
them and be able to provide an answer
(or countervailing evidence) if
they be not true or accurate but, instead of doing so, rests his case
on a bare or ambiguous denial
the court will generally have
difficulty in finding that the test is satisfied
.”
[Emphasis added.]
[56]
As mentioned above:
[56.1]
Mr Rees provided no proof of payment of the
purchase price to Mr Stopforth.
[56.2]
No evidence of payment for the improvements
has been presented.
[56.3]
Mr Stopforth has not confirmed Mr Rees’
version in which Mr Stopforth is a key witness.
[56.4]
The evidence in support of a lease
agreement between Mr Rees and Marindafontein are unsatisfactory, for
the reasons mentioned above.
[57]
In
regard to disputes of fact in motion proceedings, the court in
South
African Veterinary Council v Szymanski
[31]
stated as follows:
“
[23]
It is an elementary rule of motion proceedings that an applicant
cannot succeed in the face of a genuine
dispute of fact that is
material to the relief sought. Conflicting averments under oath
cannot be tested on affidavit but only
by oral evidence. Nearly 80
years ago Innes CJ explained that
‘
(t)he
reason is clear; it is undesirable in such cases to endeavour to
settle the dispute of fact upon affidavit. It is more satisfactory
that evidence should be led and that the Court should have an
opportunity of seeing and hearing the witnesses before coming to
a
conclusion.’
[24]
Innes CJ added a significant qualification:
‘
(W)here
the facts are not really in dispute … there can be no
objection, but on the contrary a manifest advantage in dealing
with
the matter by the speedier and less expensive method of motion.’
This qualification,
endorsed in the subsequent classic expositions on the subject, led to
a gradual but not inconsiderable relaxation
of the criteria for
determining whether despite a factual dispute relief can be granted
in affidavit proceedings. Most notably,
Corbett CJ in
Plascon-Evans
Paints Ltd v Van Riebeeck Paints
(Pty) Ltd
amplified the
ambit of uncreditworthy denials that would not impede the grant of
relief. He extended them beyond those not raising
a real, genuine or
bona fide
dispute of fact, to allegations or denials that are
‘so far-fetched or clearly untenable that the Court is
justified in rejecting
them merely on the papers’.”
[58]
Mr Rees’ case in opposing the
vindicatory relief sought by Marindafontein, in my view, falls short
of these trite principles
in motion proceedings.
Conclusion
[59]
In the circumstances, the jurisdictional
requirements of
rei vindicatio
have
been met by Marindafontein. For the reasons stated, I find that
Mr Rees has not discharged the onus of proving a lawful
entitlement
to occupy the hangar.
Order
[60]
In the premises, the following order is
made:
1.
The second respondent, and all persons
claiming the right of occupation of Hangar H19/3, situated at the
Petit Airfield, Rudi Street,
Benoni (the premises) are evicted from
the premises.
2.
The second respondent and all such
aforementioned persons shall vacate the premises within fourteen days
of the granting of this
order.
3.
In the event that the second respondent and
such aforementioned persons do not vacate the premises, the Sheriff
of this Court is
authorised and directed to evict the second
respondent and such aforementioned persons.
4.
The second respondent is directed to pay
the costs of the application.
_____________________________________
PG LOUW
ACTING JUDGE OF THE
HIGH COURT
GAUTENG
DIVISION, JOHANNESBURG
Counsel for
Applicant: Adv
L Hollander
Instructed
by: Alice
Swanepoel Attorneys
Counsel for Second
Respondent: Adv A Bishop
Instructed
by: Dewey
McLean Levy Inc
Date of hearing:
18 May 2023
Date of judgment: 16
August 2023
[1]
This
is evident from a company search attached to the founding affidavit
as Annexure “SC1”.
[2]
Answering
affidavit at para 35.
[3]
Answering
affidavit at para 49.
[4]
Annexures
“KR4” to “KR12”.
[5]
Annexure
“KR13”.
[6]
“
KR15”
to “KR18”.
[7]
Answering
affidavit at paras 77-78.
[8]
[2020]
ZASCA 74
; 2020 JDR 1279 (SCA).
[9]
Ganes
and
Another v Telecom Namibia Ltd
[2003]
ZASCA 123
;
2004 (3) SA 615
(SCA) at para 19.
[10]
Id.
[11]
[2005]
ZASCA 7
;
2005 (4) SA 199
(SCA) at para 16.
[12]
1992
(2) SA 703
(W) at 705C-H.
[13]
1974
(3) SA 13
(A) at 20B-G.
[14]
Gien
v Gien
1979
(2) SA 1113
(T) at 1120C.
[15]
[2018]
ZAFSHC at para 4.
[16]
Answering
affidavit at para 31.
[17]
Answering
affidavit at para 47.
[18]
[2011]
ZASCA 31
;
2012 (3) SA 1
(SCA) para 25.
[19]
Second
respondent’s heads of argument at para 82.5.
[20]
Answering
affidavit at para 9.
[21]
Annexures
“P3” and “P4” to the particulars of claim
which is annexure “KR1” to the answering
affidavit.
[22]
Particulars
of claim at para 41.
[23]
Particulars
of claim at para 42.
[24]
Particulars
of claim at para 46.2.
[25]
McDonald
v Young
[2011]
ZASCA 31
;
2012 (3) SA 1
(SCA) at para 23.
[26]
Annexures
“KR4” to “KR12” to the answering affidavit.
[27]
Annexure
“KR13” to the answering affidavit.
[28]
Annexures
“KR15” to “KR18” to the answering affidavit.
[29]
CaseLines
at 034-2 onwards.
[30]
[2008]
ZASCA 6
;
2008 (3) SA 371
(SCA) at para 13.
[31]
[2003]
ZASCA 11
;
2003 (4) SA 42
(SCA) at paras 23-24.
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