Case Law[2022] ZAGPJHC 47South Africa
Ketlele N.O. and Another v Ketlele and Others (2019/35600) [2022] ZAGPJHC 47 (9 February 2022)
High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Johannesburg)
9 February 2022
Headnotes
the original decision of the housing bureau to award the immovable property to the (1st) respondent and dismissed the appeal.
Judgment
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## Ketlele N.O. and Another v Ketlele and Others (2019/35600) [2022] ZAGPJHC 47 (9 February 2022)
Ketlele N.O. and Another v Ketlele and Others (2019/35600) [2022] ZAGPJHC 47 (9 February 2022)
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sino date 9 February 2022
REPUBLIC
OF SOUTH AFRICA
IN
THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA
(GAUTENG
DIVISION, JOHANNESBURG)
Case
no: 2019/35600
REPORTABLE:
YES
/ NO
OF
INTEREST TO OTHER JUDGES:
YES
/NO
REVISED.
9
February 2022
In
the matter between:
JOYCE
KETLELE
N.O.
1
st
Applicant
(In
her capacity as Executrix of the Estate Late
MALEFETSANE
KETLELE
, ID NO [....])
JOYCE
KETLELE (Born RADEBE)
2
nd
Applicant
And
AMOS
KETLELE
1
st
Respondent
THE
DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT
2
nd
Respondent
OF
HOUSING, GAUTENG PROVINCE
REGISTRAR
OF DEEDS, JOHANNESBURG
3
rd
Respondent
Delivered:
This judgement was prepared and authored by the Judge whose name is
reflected herein and is handed down electronically
by circulation to
the Parties/their legal representatives by email and by uploading it
to the electronic file of this matter on
CaseLines. The date for
hand-down is deemed to be 9 February 2022.
JUDGMENT
BEZUIDENHOUT
AJ:
[1]
The 1
st
and 2
nd
applicants lodged the current
application wherein they seek to review a judgment issued by the
housing appeal panel in 2003, in
which the appeal panel confirmed the
ruling made by the housing bureau to award no 6389 Madhlala street,
Orlando East, Soweto,
Gauteng (the immovable property) to the 1
st
respondent.
[2]
The applicants furthermore want the immovable property to be
retransferred into the
previous owner’s name (The City Council)
and seek costs against any respondent who opposes the relief sought.
[3]
The review application was lodged late, and the applicants seek
condonation for the
late filing of the review application.
HISTORY
[4]
Mr NS and Mrs EM Ketlele occupied the immovable property with their
three children:
Mankoe (born 1949), Malefetsane (born 1954) and Frans
(born 1958). It is unknown when Mr and Mrs Ketlele took occupation of
the
immovable property. In 1967 Mankoe gave birth to the 1
st
respondent. In 1975, Mr Ketlele passed away and Mrs Ketlele obtained
a residential permit which allowed her, her 3 children and
grandchild
(1
st
respondent) to remain in occupation of the immovable
property. Mrs Ketlele passed away in 1976. Frans was born with
disabilities
which made him dependent on others for his daily care.
[5]
In 1977 Mankoe applied for an was issued with a residential permit
under sub section
4 of regulation 7, chapter 2, of the now repealed
Regulations Governing the Control and Supervision of Urban Black
Residential
Area and Relevant Matters G.N. 1036 dated 14 June 1968
(the regulations). Mankoe was named as the holder of the residential
permit
and Malefetsane, Frans and Amos (the 1
st
respondent) were indicated to be Mankoe’s dependants who were
entitled to reside with her at the immovable property.
[6]
In June 1979, Malefetsane and the 2
nd
applicant were
married to each other in community of property. In May 1980,
Malefetsane was issued with a lodger’s permit
under Regulation
20, chapter 2, of the regulations.
[7]
Mankoe co-habited with Mr Lumkwana at the immovable property and she
passed away in
February 2000.
[8]
After Mankoe passed away the 1
st
respondent approached the
housing bureau with an application that the right to occupy the
immovable property be awarded to him
as Mankoe’s only intestate
heir. Case number 1690 was assigned to the application. Initially Mr
Lumkwana opposed the 1
st
respondent’s application
however, they settled their dispute and Mr Lumkwana withdrew his
opposition to the application in
favour of the 1
st
respondent.
[9]
On 23 July 2001, the housing bureau found that the 1
st
respondent was entitled to inherit the right of occupancy of the
immovable property by virtue of the laws of intestate succession
and
ruled that the immovable property be registered in the 1
st
respondent’s name.
[10]
An appeal was lodged under case number 15962
[1]
against the ruling that the immovable property be registered into the
1
st
respondent’s name
[2]
. In
March 2003, the appeal panel consisting of three adjudicators
indicated that the appellant made the following submissions:
that he
was a lodger at the immovable property, that he wants the immovable
property to be a family home, that he was married to
Joyce and that
they resided at the house of Florence Mokoena.
[11]
The appeal panel further recorded that the (1
st
)
respondent stated that: the house cannot be a family house as the
appellant fought with his mother before he left the immovable
property and the only reason the appellant wanted to move back onto
the immovable property was because his mother passed away.
[12]
Under the heading facts proved, the tribunal found that a permit was
issued on 19 April 1977
in Mankoe’s name, and a certificate of
tenancy was issued on 1 May 1977 again in Mankoe’s name. Mankoe
passed away
on 21 February 2000.
[13]
Under the heading Legal Position and Equity the panel recorded that
they explained to the appellant
what his rights were under the
Conversion Act and that he could apply for an RDP house. The panel
was unanimous in their view that
the adjudicator a quo’s ruling
was sound in law and equity, they found that the (1
st
)
respondent continuously resided at the immovable property and
continued to reside at the immovable property after Mankoe’s
death and that the (1
st
) respondent cared for Frans and
that Frans resided at the immovable property with the (1
st
)
respondent. The appeal panel upheld the original decision of the
housing bureau to award the immovable property to the (1
st
)
respondent and dismissed the appeal.
[14]
In 2009, the 1
st
Respondent brought an application in the Magistrates Court seeking to
evict Malefetsane and all occupying the property through
or under
him. Malefetsane defended this application and brought a separate
application in this Court wherein he sought to review
and set aside
the appeal panel’s judgment. The application being lodged late
included an application for condonation. Both
Malefetsane and the 1
st
respondent withdrew their applications as they settled the dispute
between them
[3]
.
[15]
In 2014 / 2015 Malefetsane and his children build a second house on
the immovable property and
carried the costs thereof
[4]
.
[16]
In 2015 / 2016, the 1
st
respondent brought another
application for the eviction of Malefetsane and all persons occupying
by or through him, which application
the 1
st
respondent
withdrew.
[17]
Malefetsane passed away on 22 March 2017.
[18]
On 11 May 2017, the 2
nd
applicant was appointed as
executrix to Malefetsane’s estate.
[19]
In March 2018, the 1
st
respondent
issued another eviction application out of the Magistrates Court for
the district of Soweto, seeking to evict the 2
nd
applicant
and all persons claiming occupation through or under her. The 2
nd
applicant defended the application, and the application was still
pending when this application was argued.
[20]
In October 2019, the applicants issued the current application. I
have been informed form the
bar that Frans had passed away and he
left no offspring.
GROUNDS
FOR REVIEW
[21]
The applicants claimed that the housing bureau did not properly
investigate the claim filed by
the 1
st
respondent and had
they done so they would have noted that the immovable property was a
family home. This omission negatively affected
Frans and Malefetsane
as the immovable property was awarded to the 1
st
respondent based solely on his version and Frans and Malefetsane
never had an opportunity to place their versions before the housing
bureau and appeal panel for consideration.
[22]
According to the applicants the immovable property should not have
been awarded to one family
member only as it was inherited by all
three children from their parents.
ISSUES
FOR DETERMINATION
[23]
Whether the applicants’ failure to lodge the review application
timeously should be condoned.
[24]
Whether Malefetsane and Frans were denied the right to participate in
the proceedings and place
their versions before the housing tribunal
and the appeal panel for consideration.
THE
LAW
[25]
The applicants legal representative referred me to the well-known
case of Melane v Santam Insurance
Co Ltd
1962 (4) SA 531
(A) and the
factors which a Court would take into consideration in exercising its
discretion whether to grant condonation to a
litigant.
[26]
In its heads of argument the applicants’ legal representative
also referred me to the matter
of the Academic and Professional Staff
Association v Pretorius NO and Others (2008) 29 ILJ 318 (LC), where
the Labour Court at
paragraphs 17–18 indicated that: ‘The
factors which the court takes into consideration in assessing whether
or not
to grant condonation are: (a) the degree of lateness or non –
compliance with the prescribed time frame; (b) the explanation
for
the lateness or the failure to comply with time frame; (c) prospects
of success or bona fide defence in the main case; (d)
the importance
of the case; (e) the respondent's interest in the finality of the
judgment; (f) the convenience of the court; and
(g) avoidance of
unnecessary delay in the administration of justice.
[27]
Further to the above, the applicant’s legal representative also
referred me to Foster v
Stewart Scott Inc. (1997) 18 ILJ 367 (LAC)
where it was held that: ‘It is trite law that these factors are
not individually
decisive but are interrelated and must be weighed
against each other. In weighing these factors for instance, a good
explanation
for the lateness may assist the applicant in compensating
for weak prospects of success. Similarly, strong prospects of success
may compensate the inadequate explanation and long delay.’
[28]
The 1
st
respondents legal representative referred me to
section 7
of the
Promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000
where it is stipulated that any proceedings for judicial review in
terms of
section 6(1)
must be instituted without unreasonable delay
and not later than 180 of the person becoming aware that the
proceedings instituted
were concluded, or when that person had been
informed of the administrative action or became aware of the
administrative action
and the reasons therefore and so forth.
[29]
The 1
st
respondents legal
representative furthermore referred me to the matter of Brummer v
Gorfil Brothers Investments (Pty) Ltd and others
[2000] ZACC 3
;
2000 (2) SA 837
(CC)
where the Court in the context of condonation held the following:
“factors that are relevant to this enquiry include
but are not
limited to the nature of the relief sought, the extent and cause of
the 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 and the prospects of success.”
[30]
The 1
st
respondent’s legal representative referred
me to the matter of: Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance v The South
African
National Roads Agency Limited (90/2013)
[2013] ZASCA 148
(9
October 2013). I quote the relevant portion of the judgment here
below:
“
[22]
Apart from contesting the appellants’ challenge to the impugned
decisions on its merits, the respondents relied on what
has become
known as the delay rule. Despite the appellants’ contentions to
the contrary and for reasons that will become
apparent soon, I
believe we are compelled to follow the example set by this court in
Beweging vir Christelik Volkseie Onderwys
and others v Minister of
Education and others
[2012] 2 All SA 462
(SCA) para 44, by dealing
with the delay rule first.
[23] Although the delay
rule has its origin in common law, it now finds its basis in
s 7(1)
of PAJA which provides in relevant part: ‘1. Any proceedings
for judicial review in terms of
section 6(1)
must be instituted
without unreasonable delay and not later than 180 days after the date
– (a) . . . (b) . . . on which the
person concerned was
informed of the administrative action, became aware of the action and
the reasons for it or might reasonably
have been expected to have
become aware of the action and the reasons.’
[24]
Section 9(1)
provides, however, that the 180-day period ‘may be extended for
a fixed period, by agreement between the parties or, failing
such
agreement, by a court or tribunal, on application by the person or
administrator concerned’.
Section 9(2)
provides that such an
application may be granted ‘where the interests of justice so
require’.
[25] As to the purpose
and function of the delay rule under
s 7(1)
of PAJA and its common
law predecessor, Nugent JA explained in Gqwetha v Transkei
Development Corporation Ltd and others
2006 (2) SA 603
(SCA) paras
22-23: 14 ‘[22] It is important for the efficient functioning
of public bodies . . . that a challenge to the
validity of their
decisions by proceedings for judicial review should be initiated
without undue delay. The rationale for that
longstanding rule . . .
is twofold: First, the failure to bring a review within a reasonable
time may cause prejudice to the respondent.
Secondly, and in my view
more importantly, there is a public interest element in the finality
of administrative decisions and the
exercise of administrative
functions. As pointed out by Miller JA in Wolgroeiers Afslaers (Edms)
Bpk v Munisipaliteit van Kaapstad
1978 (1) SA 13
(A) at 41E-F (my
translation): “It is desirable and important that finality
should be arrived at within a reasonable time
in relation to judicial
and administrative decisions or acts. It can be contrary to the
administration of justice and the public
interest to allow such
decisions or acts to be set aside after an unreasonably long period
of time has elapsed - interest reipublicae
ut sit finis litium. . . .
Considerations of this kind undoubtedly constitute part of the
underlying reasons for the existence
of this rule.” [23]
Underlying that latter aspect of the rationale is the inherent
potential for prejudice, both to the efficient
functioning of the
public body and to those who rely upon its decisions, if the validity
of its decisions remains uncertain. It
is for that reason in
particular that proof of actual prejudice to the respondent is not a
precondition for refusing to entertain
review proceedings by reason
of undue delay, although the extent to which prejudice has been shown
is a relevant consideration
that might even be decisive where the
delay has been relatively slight (Wolgroeiers Afslaers, above, at
42C).’
[26] At common law
application of the undue delay rule required a two-stage enquiry.
First, whether there was an unreasonable
delay and, second, if so,
whether the delay should in all the circumstances be condoned (see
e.g. Associated Institutions Pension
Fund and others v Van Zyl and
others
2005 (2) SA 302
(SCA) para 47). Up to a point, I think,
s 7(1)
of PAJA requires the same two stage approach. The difference lies, as
I see it, in the legislature’s determination of a delay
exceeding 180 days as per se unreasonable. Before the effluxion of
180 days, the first enquiry in applying
s 7(1)
is still whether the
delay (if any) was unreasonable. But after the 180-day period the
issue of unreasonableness is pre-determined
by the legislature; it is
unreasonable per se. It follows that the court is only empowered to
entertain the review application
if the interest of justice dictates
an extension in terms of
s 9.
Absent such extension the court has no
authority to entertain the review application at all. Whether or not
the decision was unlawful
no longer matters. The decision has been
‘validated’ by the delay (see eg Associated Institutions
Pension Fund para
46). That of course does not mean that, after the
180-day period, an enquiry into the reasonableness of the applicant’s
conduct
becomes entirely irrelevant. Whether or not the delay was
unreasonable and, if so, the extent of that unreasonableness is still
a factor to be taken into account in determining whether an extension
should be granted or not (see eg Camps Bay Ratepayers’
and
Residents’ Association v Harrison
[2010] 2 All SA 519
(SCA)
para 54).
[27] In its terms
s 7(1)
envisages asking when ‘the person concerned’ was
informed, or became aware, or might reasonably be expected to have
become aware, of the administrative action.”
[31]
On the review side of the application, the applicants referred me to
the matter of Nzimande v
Nzimande & Another
2005 (1) SA 83
(W),
and specifically the portion where it was held that: ‘it was
not intended to automatically convert rights held under
the R1036
regulations to more effective common law rights of leasehold or
ownership without considering the availability, or lack
thereof of
new houses in the area, the need for family members’ occupation
rights to be recognized and protected and the
need not to increase
homelessness but to decrease it in the defined area.’
CONDONATION
[32]
When regard is had to the portion of the founding affidavit which
deals with condonation the
2
nd
applicant indicated that
she has been advised that the review application: “could have
been filed late as her husband passed
away in 2017”.
[33]
From the founding affidavit it appears that the 2
nd
applicant only in July 2019 decided to launch the current review
application and that she then contacted attorney Selamolela whom
informed her that she could no longer assist her
[5]
.
She then briefed attorney Hadebe to launch the current review
application in July 2019.
[34]
In the matter of Van Wyk
[6]
the
Constitutional Court expressed the following: An applicant for
condonation must give a full explanation for the delay.
In addition,
the explanation must cover the entire period of delay. And, what is
more, the explanation given must be reasonable.
[35]
The period the 2
nd
applicant was required to provide an explanation for, started from
the date she and Malefetsane became aware of the appeal tribunal’s
decision, and it must cover the entire period until she lodged the
current review application. Malefetsane and the 2
nd
applicant was married in community of property and thus the interest
in the immovable property fell into the joint estate. Malefetsane
has
been aware of the appeal tribunal’s decision as from 2003 /
2005 as on his version
[7]
, he
tried to resolve the issue surrounding the immovable property being
awarded to the 1
st
respondent, with the 1
st
respondent though various informal structures like the street
committees, the ANC, the Local Municipality and family meetings.
The
2
nd
applicant in her answering affidavit then confirmed that Malefetsane
involved the street committee and so forth and from her response
it
is evident that she knew Malefetsane engaged the street committees,
ANC and so forth as he was trying to get the 1
st
respondent to relinquish his title to the immovable property. The 2
nd
application is thus required to provide an explain for the delay in
instituting the review application as from 2003 / 2005 to October
2019.
[36]
The 2
nd
applicant however pleaded that she only became
aware of the 1
st
respondents title to the immovable
property in 2009 when he launched the eviction application. As I have
already indicated this
statement is open to serious doubt but giving
the 2
nd
applicant the benefit of the doubt, she thus had
to explain the delay in launching the review application for the
period 2009 to
2019.
[37]
In her founding affidavit, the 2
nd
applicant has not dealt
chronologically with the dates and times she interacted with attorney
Hadebe or Selamolela over the period
2009 to 2019. The 2
nd
applicant averred that Malefetsane gave instructions to attorney
Selamolela to launch a 2
nd
review application however the
2
nd
applicant did not plead the dates on which she or
Malefetsane would have given attorney Selamolela instructions to
launch the 2
nd
review application nor mentioned the dates
on which they followed up with attorney Selamolela on the execution
of their instructions
to her. There is also no confirmatory affidavit
from attorney Selamolela attached to the founding or replying
affidavits confirming
the instructions.
]38]
The period between the 2
nd
applicant’s appointment
as executrix in May 2017 to July 2019 is similarly vague and again
there is no chronological pleading
of dates and times where the 2
nd
applicant would have given instructions and followed up on the
execution of her instructions, if any.
[39]
The 2
nd
applicant acknowledged that she was served with
the third eviction application in 2018 and stated that she briefed
attorney Hadebe
to represent her in that matter however, no
explanation was tendered as to why the 2
nd
applicant did
not brief attorney Hadebe to launch a review application at that
stage or any sooner. In her replying affidavit the
2
nd
applicant claimed that she did not have funds to brief attorney
Hadebe earlier. Safe for this bald allegation the 2
nd
applicant had not explained why she had funds to brief attorney
Hadebe in the eviction application but not to issue a review
application,
where she got funds from to eventually launch the review
application and had not attached any proof that would support her
lack
of funds plea. The 2
nd
applicant should also have
dealt with these facts in her founding affidavit and not raise it in
reply for the first time.
[40]
The 2
nd
applicant attested to the founding affidavit on 19
October 2019, it took the applicants from July 2019 to October 2019,
a further
three months to lodge the current review application. What
steps were taken over this period to expedite the filing of the
review
application was not included in the founding affidavit nor
addressed in reply.
[41]
The 2
nd
applicant seems to suggest that the settlement
agreement reached between the 1
st
respondent and
Malefetsane and the litigation that ensued over the years must also
serve as mitigation for them not actively pursuing
a review
application. However, if regard is had to the litigation history, it
appears that the 2
nd
applicant and Malefetsane only
reacted to the eviction applications launched by the 1
st
respondent and on their own, evidenced no independent desire to
approach the Courts with a review application or to enforce the
disputed settlement agreement. On the 2
nd
applicant’s
version Malefetsane gave instructions for a 2
nd
review
application to be filed yet no action was taken in that regard until
July 2019, when the 2
nd
applicant issued instructions to
attorney Hadebe to launch the current review application after
attorney Selamolela informed the
2
nd
applicant that she
could no longer assist her.
[42]
The 2
nd
applicant alleged that it was in the interest of
justice to allow the review as Malefetsane was never given the
opportunity to
state his case before the appeal tribunal and thus an
injustice had occurred. Whether Malefetsane was afforded an
opportunity to
place his version or case before the appeal tribunal
and had them consider it, also forms the basis for the review
application.
[43]
In this regard, the 1
st
respondent’s version is that
he filed his claim against Mr Lumkwana under case number 1690 however
he and Mr Lumkwana settled
their dispute. The 1
st
respondent attached as annexure AK 1, a judgment by consent to his
answering affidavit. This judgment accords with the 1
st
respondent’s version as it indicated that the 1
st
respondent and Mr Lumkwana settled their dispute in that Mr Lumkwana
withdrew his dispute in favour of the 1
st
respondent and
the 1
st
respondent is entitled to inherit the immovable
property by virtue of interstate succession. The 2
nd
applicant does not dispute this portion of the 1
st
respondent’s version.
[44]
On the 1
st
respondent’s version Malefetsane filed an
application under case number 19562 which was dismissed, Malefetsane
then appealed
that decision which appeal was unsuccessful. The 1
st
respondent pleaded that it is only the citation of the applicant and
respondent on the 1
st
page of the judgment which is
incorrect. The file cover and the rest of the judgment is unaffected.
The 2
nd
applicant deny that Malefetsane filed an
application with the tribunal, that Malefetsane filed an appeal
application or partook
in any proceedings before the housing bureau
or appeal panel.
[45]
Having regard to the body of the judgment under case number 19562, it
supports the 1
st
respondent’s version rather than
the 2
nd
applicant’s version as it refers to the
appellant as being the lodger (Malefetsane held a lodger’s
permit) who was
married to Joyce (the 2
nd
applicant) and
who wanted the immovable property to be a family home (Malefetsane
wanted the immovable property to be a family
home). On the file cover
Malefetsane is also indicated as a claimant. The 2
nd
applicant, in reply did not explain why Malefetsane’s details
would appear as a claimant if he was not part of the process
and why
all the details included in the body of the judgements accords with
what is known about him and his position. In annexure
F, attached to
the founding affidavit, Malefetsane also indicated that he filed his
own application with the housing tribunal although
no case number was
pleaded.
[46]
The 1
st
respondent pleaded that regard must be had to his
prejudice when condonation is considered. According to the 1
st
respondent the 2
nd
applicant attended all the hearings
before the housing bureau and appeal tribunal and knew as from 2003
that the immovable property
has been awarded to him. He has a right
to finality and his rights must also be considered and respected. He
and Frans had to vacate
the immovable property due to the acrimony
between the 2
nd
applicant’s family and him, and the
two of them had to rent other suitable accommodation. The 1
st
respondent wanted to sell the immovable property, yet the 2
nd
applicant and her family’s continued occupation of the
immovable property made it impossible for him to do so. The 2
nd
applicant and her family build another house on the immovable
property without the 1
st
respondent’s consent. The
1
st
respondent incurred the costs of 3 eviction
applications seeking to enforce his right to the immovable property
that has been awarded
to him after he lodged his claim to the
immovable property. The 1
st
respondent indicated that the
2
nd
applicant and her family had had ample time and
opportunity to challenge the appeal panels judgment, yet they had
failed to do
so.
[47]
The option to take the decision of the appeal panel on review was
there for the 2
nd
applicant and her family to exercise if
they felt aggrieved by the appeal panel’s decision however this
option must be exercised
within a reasonable time. The 2
nd
applicant was aware of the time limits imposed on review applications
as she and Malefetsane had to address the aspect of condonation
in
the 1
st
review application brought in 2009. The 2
nd
applicant has failed to adequately explain why, when it became
evident that the 1
st
respondent was not going to abide by
the terms of the disputed settlement agreement, did they not see to
it that their instructions
to proceed with the 2
nd
review
application was properly executed or an order to enforce the disputed
settlement agreement was obtained.
[48]
As was alluded to by Nugent JA in the Gqwetha matter, the decision to
take public bodies decisions
on review must be done without undue
delay as it has the potential to cause prejudice.
[49]
As was pointed out by the applicant’s legal representative in
the Foster v Stewart matter.
The factors a court needs to weigh are
not individually decisive but are interrelated and must be weighed
against each other and
in weighing these factors for instance, a good
explanation for the lateness may assist the applicant in compensating
for weak prospects
of success. Similarly, strong prospects of success
may compensate the inadequate explanation and long delay.
[50]
The appeal in this matter has been finalised in 2003. At the very
least the 2
nd
applicant had been aware of the 1
st
respondents title to the immovable property since 2009 when the 1
st
respondent launched the first eviction application. In 2017
Malefetsane passed away and the 2
nd
applicant was
appointed as executrix in May 2017. The 2
nd
applicant
signed her affidavit in October 2019.
[51]
The delay in lodging the review application is excessive and the
reasons advanced in explaining
the delay are poor to say the very
least. The applicants’ prospects of success with the review are
slight as prima facie
it would appear that Malefetsane did have an
opportunity to present his case to the appeal tribunal and same was
considered.
[52]
Weighing all the factors, the applicants have failed to make out a
proper case for condonation
and condonation is therefore refused.
WHEREFORE
THE COURT ORDERS THAT:
1.
The application is dismissed, with costs.
______________________
J
M BEZUIDENHOUT AJ
Acting
Judge of the High Court
DATE
OF HEARING: 19
October 2021
DATE
OF JUDGMENT: 9 February 2022
For
the Applicant:
T Radebe
For
the Respondent:
WB Ndlovu
[1]
The
1
st
respondent claimed that he opened the case under case number 1690
and Malefestane opened a case at the housing tribunal under
case
number 15962, hence the two case numbers. The 2
nd
applicant did not deal specifically with the two case numbers and
denied that Malefetsane filed the appeal.
[2]
The
1
st
respondent alleged that Malefetsane lodged the appeal however the
2
nd
applicant disputed this.
[3]
The
terms on which the parties settled the dispute are in dispute.
[4]
The
1
st
respondent claimed that he did not give his approval for this house
to be build.
[5]
See
paragraph 98
## [6]Van
Wyk v Unitas Hospital and Another (CCT 12/07) [2007] ZACC 24; 2008
(2) SA 472 (CC); 2008 (4) BCLR 442 (CC)
[6]
Van
Wyk v Unitas Hospital and Another (CCT 12/07) [2007] ZACC 24; 2008
(2) SA 472 (CC); 2008 (4) BCLR 442 (CC)
[7]
which
can be found as annexure F to the founding affidavit
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