Backlash over RAF contingency fee ruling

Attorneys handling Road Accident Fund (RAF) cases and other matters involving contingency fees have been dealt a significant blow by a Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) judgment that clarified how their maximum fees in these cases must be calculated.

Photographer’s copyright appeal bid dismissed

The copyright dispute between renowned photographer Trevor Stuurman and women's art group Woza Sisi Collective has taken a dramatic turn, with Stuurman facing a costly legal setback after unsuccessfully challenging a court order that halted his exhibition in May.

Vodacom confirms settlement in ‘Please Call Me’ saga

Vodacom last night announced that it has finally settled the Please Call Me dispute with Kenneth Makate, reaching an out-of-court agreement.

Mother must return child to Denmark-based SA father

A mother, who clandestinely took her six-year-old child from where she and her now estranged husband lived in Denmark, has now been ordered to return the child to her husband in Denmark, reports IoL.

SARS secures R155m provisional sequestration order

The SARS has secured a provisional sequestration order against a taxpayer for R155m for tax non-compliance. The order allows SARS to seize assets of an individual taxpayer to cover their tax bill.

Vexatious litigant to under go psychological evaluation

The Western Cape High Court (Cape Town) has ordered a persistent litigant to undergo a psychiatric evaluation at George Hospital following his latest application for the recusal of the judge who deemed him vexatious.

Property seller loses appeal relying on voetstoets clause

A Pretoria property owner has lost his appeal against a ruling which ordered the reimbursement of R600 000 to the buyer in a defective land sale.

Tenant’s golf estate fight ends in partial defeat

A Stellenbosch tenant’s fight to stay in a luxury golf estate home has ended in partial defeat after the SCA ruled the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) does not protect tenants who rent from private homeowners.

Municipality under fire for recruiting ‘unfit’ law firm

A rural Mpumalanga municipality hired a law firm that was ‘deemed unfit’ or inexperienced in ongoing litigation to force mogul Johann Rupert’s company to pay market-related property rates.

SARS wins sequestration order against tobacco importer

SARS has won an order provisionally placing the assets of a tobacco importer under court control after it accused him of owing R188m in income and customs tax debts, reports News24.

SARB ordered to freeze vape shop owner’s accounts

Mohammed Ebrahim claims that he invested about R40m with vape shop owner Muhammad Karolia with the expectation that it would be used to develop padel courts east of Johannesburg.

UCT’s council ‘acted against best interests’ over Gaza spat

Legal representatives for UCT Professor Adam Mendelsohn have argued that the council acted against the institution’s best interests when it adopted its resolutions on the Middle East conflict.

Surtie family sues PIC and Godongwana for R1.3trn

The Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) has given the green light for Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to be cited as a respondent in a lawsuit filed by a family against the PIC regarding the payment of R1.35trn – funds believed to be held by the PIC.

Lawyer blames estate agent for sequestration threat

Durban attorney Ahmed Amod remains adamant that he has done nothing wrong regarding a dubious property scheme which is now the subject of litigation that could see his sequestration.

Application to stop property transfer dismissed

The Western Cape High Court has thrown out an application by a George homeowner to stop Standard Bank transferring his property to a new owner after it was sold at a public auction in February.

SARS, lawyers take bitcoin Ponzi scheme cut

Liquidators of Mirror Trading International (MTI) have managed to recover more than R1bn, but faced a claim of R931m from SARS.

Firm sued over faulty lift

The mother of UKZN student Andiswa Mantshongo, who fell to her death in a lift shaft at the same Durban building where the Dlamini twins recently died, is suing HOMii for R4.3m.

Canadian firm challenges Acsa tender

Cana­dian com­pany Embross North Amer­ica has ini­ti­ated an urgent applic­a­tion to inter­dict Acsa from con­tinu­ing with a new bid­ding pro­cess for a mul­ti­mil­lion-rand tender aimed at infra­struc­ture over­haul of the coun­try’s air­ports.

Department denies breaching Popia over matric results

The manner in which the matric results are published – with examination numbers and the associated results on public platforms – is not akin to publishing personal information, so there is no contravention of the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia).

RAF cleared in boundary wall collision case

A motorist who collided with a boundary wall on the opposite side of the road after being blinded by an oncoming vehicle’s bright lights has failed in her claim against the Road Accident Fund (RAF).