Should the Alienation of Land Act 68 of 1981 be Amended to Address Homelessness? Sarrahwitz v Maritz 2015 8 BCLR 925 (CC)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2017/v20i0a1540

Keywords:

Alienation of Land Act, Right to obtain transfer of land, Instalment sale agreement, s 25(1) of the Constitution, Insolvency, Common law – transfer of property from insolvent estate, Development of common law, Section 39(2) of the Constitution, Homelessness

Abstract

The article critically evaluates the decision of the Constitutional Court to resort to the amendment of the Alienation of Land Act in order to protect a vulnerable purchaser of property against homelessness. It is argued that the origins and purpose of the said Act should have been considered by the Constitutional Court. Such consideration shows that the Act protects against a specific vulnerability which an instalment sale purchaser faces and deals with the right to take transfer. This vulnerability is not necessarily homelessness and is it, therefore, questioned whether the Act can be applied to give effect to the section 26 of the Constitution. The article further argues that an alternative solution could have been to develop, in line with constitutional values, the common law provision which provides the trustee of the insolvent estate with the discretion to cancel a sale agreement pertaining to property sold but not yet transferred, as it is this provision which created the risk of homelessness in this instance. It is, however, submitted, that the minority judgment’s reliance on the Prevention of Illegal Eviction and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act, provided the best solution in this instance.

 

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Author Biographies

Anri Heyns, University of South Africa

Department of Private Law

Lecturer: Property Law

Boitumelo Mmusinyane, University of South Africa

Department of Private Law

Senior Lecturer: Land and Housing

References

Bibliography

Literature

Cohen Section 19 of the Alienation of Land Act 68 of 1981

Cohen S Section 19 of the Alienation of Land Act 68 of 1981 (LLM dissertation University of the Witwatersrand 1985)

Davis and Klare 2010 SAJHR

Davis D and Klare K “Transformative constitutionalism and the common and customary law” 2010 SAJHR (26) 403-509

Dugard J 2006 SAJHR

Dugard J “Court of first instance? Towards a pro-poor jurisprudence for the South African Constitutional Court” 2006 SAJHR (26) 261-282.

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Otto J “The history of consumer credit legislation in South Africa” 2010 (16) Fundamina 257-273

Van der Merwe 2002 SALJ

Van der Merwe CG “Numerus Clausus and the development of new real rights in South Africa” 2002 SALJ (119) 802-815

Van Rensburg and Treisman The Practitioners’ Guide to Alienation of Land

Van Rensburg ADJ and Treisman SH The Practitioners’ Guide to Alienation of Land 2 ed (Butterworths Durban 1984)

Woker 2010 Obiter

Woker T “Why the need for consumer protection legislation? A look at some of the reasons behind the promulgation of the National Credit Act and the Consumer Protection Act” 2010 Obiter 217–231

Case law

Abahlali base Mjondolo Movement of South Africa and Another v Premier of the Province of KwaZulu–Natal 2010 2 BCLR 99 (CC)

Botha v Rich 2014 4 SA 124 (CC)

Carmichele v Minister of Safety and Security 2001 4 SA 938 (CC)

City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality v Blue Moonlight Properties 39 (Pty) Ltd 2012 2 SA 104 (CC)

City of Johannesburg v Rand Properties (Pty) Ltd 2007 1 SA 78 (SCA)

Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality v Various Occupiers, Eden Park Extension 5, City of Cape Town v Rudolph 2003 11 BCLR 1236 (C)

Everfresh Market Virginia (Pty) Ltd v Shoprite Checkers (Pty) Ltd 2012 1 SA 256 (CC)

First National Bank of SA Ltd t/a Wesbank v Commissioner, South African Revenue Services; First National Bank of SA Ltd t/a Wesbank v Minister of Finance 2002 4 SA 768 (CC)

Fischer v Persons Unknown 2014 3 SA 291 (WC)

Ghandi v SMP Properties (Pty) Ltd 1983 1 SA 1154

Glen Anil Finance (Pty) Ltd v Joint Liquidators, Glen Anil Development Corporation Ltd (in liquidation) 1981 1 SA 171 (A)

Gordon v Standard Merchant Bank Ltd and Another (1980) 2 AllSA 213 (C)

Government of the Republic of South Africa v Grootboom 2001 1 SA 46 (CC)

Harris v Trustee of Buissinne (1828-1849) 2 Menz 105

Jaftha v Schoeman 2005 2 SA 140 (CC); Van Rooyen v Stoltz 2005 1 BCLR 78 (CC)

Khosa v Minister of Social Development 2004 6 SA 505 (CC)

Mazibuko v City of Johannesburg 2010 3 BCLR 239 (CC)

Merry Hill (Pty) Ltd v Engelbrecht 2008 2 SA 544 (SCA)

Minister of Health v New Clicks South Africa (Pty) Ltd 2006 8 BCLR 872 (CC)

Minister of Public Works v Kyalami Ridge Environmental Association 2001 7 BCLR 652 (CC)

Motswagae v Rustenburg Local Municipality 2013 2 SA 613 (CC)

National Credit Regulator v Opperman 2013 2 SA 1 (CC)

Ngewu v Post Office Retirement Fund 2013 4 BCLR 421 (CC)

Occupiers of 51 Olivia Road v City of Johannesburg and Others 2008 5 BCLR 475 (CC)

Port Elizabeth Municipality v Various Occupiers 2005 1 SA 217 (CC)

President of the Republic of South Africa v Modderklip Boerdery (Pty) Ltd 2005 5 SA 3 (CC)

Residents of Joe Slovo Community, Western Cape v Thubelisha Homes 2009 9 BCLR 847 (CC)

Sarrahwitz v Maritz 2015 8 BCLR 925 (CC)

Sarrahwitz v Maritz [2013] ZAECGHC 10 (7 February 2013)

Shoprite Checkers (Pty) Ltd v Member of the Executive Council for Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Eastern Cape 2015 (6) SA 125 (CC)

Smit and Venter v Fourie 1946 WLD 9

Van der Merwe v Road Accident Fund 2006 4 SA 230 (CC)

Legislation

Alienation of Land Act 68 of 1981

Community Development Act 3 of 1966

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996

Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008

Contracts of Sale of Land Act 71 of 1969

Formalities in Respect of Contracts of Sale of Land Act of 71 of 1969

General Law Amendment Act 68 of 1957

Hire Purchase Act 36 of 1942

Housing Act 107 of 1997

Housing Act 4 of 1966

Insolvency Act 24 of 1936

Insolvency Act 39 of 1916

Long Term Insurance Act 52 of 1998

National Credit Act 34 of 2005

Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act 19 of 1998

Promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000

Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 4 of 2000

Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999

Sale of Land on Instalments Act 72 of 1971

Short Term Insurance Act 53 of 1998

Transfer Duty Act 40 of 1949

Government publications

Development Schemes Bill GN 1964 in GG 5745 of 23 September 1977

Internet sources

De Vynck D “Rode’s South African Property Trends 2003-2008” June 2003 chapter 12 available at http://www.rode.co.za/publications/demos/RT_2003-1_-_07_-_Property_C.pdf accessed on 9 May 2016.

List of abbreviations

CC Constitutional Court

HC High Court

PIE Prevention of Illegal Eviction and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act 19 of 1998

SAJHR South African Journal of Human Rights

SALJ South African Law Journal

Published

03-01-2017

How to Cite

Heyns, A., & Mmusinyane, B. (2017). Should the Alienation of Land Act 68 of 1981 be Amended to Address Homelessness? Sarrahwitz v Maritz 2015 8 BCLR 925 (CC). Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal, 20, 1–38. https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2017/v20i0a1540

Issue

Section

Case Notes