Crisp and Others v Sharemax Investments (Pty) Ltd and Others (1939/15) [2017] ZAGPPHC 737 (22 November 2017)

Crisp and Others v Sharemax Investments (Pty) Ltd and Others (1939/15) [2017] ZAGPPHC 737 (22 November 2017)

The application for leave to appeal was dismissed because the applicants failed to demonstrate a reasonable prospect that another court would reach a different conclusion. The court found that the orders sanctioning the schemes of arrangement were not fraudulently obtained, that the court had jurisdiction under section 311 of the Companies Act, and that all relevant information was disclosed. The principle that court orders remain valid and enforceable until set aside applies, and the exceptions—lack of jurisdiction or fraud—were not present. The authorities cited by the applicants were distinguishable, as those cases involved orders made without jurisdiction or proper notice, which was...

Citation
[2017] ZAGPPHC 737
Parties
Plaintiff: Jason Malcolm James Crisp; Plaintiff: Sangeetha Naidoo N.O; Plaintiff: Moonsamy Naidoo N.O; Plaintiff: Warren Ian Clive Graham Halford; Defendant: Sharemax Investments (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: Libenberg David Ryk van der Merwe N.O; Defendant: Gerhadus Rossouw Goosen; Defendant: Johannes Wilem Botha; Defendant: Dominique Haese; Defendant: Andre’ Daniel Brand; Defendant: Dirk Koekemoer; Defendant: Frontier Asset Management Investment (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: Centro Property Group (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: Sharemax Growth (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: Fine Asset Investment 119 (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: Advoca Auditing Inc; Defendant: Sarel Johannes Eloff T/A New World Valuation; Defendant: Waldemar Gustav Haese T/S WG Haese and Partners; Defendant: Capicol (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: Nova Property Holdings Limited; Defendant: Nova Property Group Investment; Defendant: The Minister of Finance National Government; Defendant: The Registrar of Banks; Defendant: The South African Reserve Bank; Defendant: The Minister of Trade & Industry National Government; Defendant: The Master of the High Court; Defendant: The Financial Services Board; Defendant: The Registrar of the Financial Services Board; Defendant: Mr Neels Alant N.O; Defendant: Mr Jaco Spies N.O; Defendant: The Registrar of the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission; Defendant: Sharemax Zambezi Retail Park Holdings Ltd; Defendant: Sharemax Zambezi Retail Park Investments (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: The Villa Retail Park Holdings Ltd; Defendant: The Villa Retail Park Investments (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: The Village Holdings Ltd; Defendant: The Village Mall Investments (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: Witbank Highveld Holdings Ltd; Defendant: Witbank Highveld Investments (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: Terentaal Centre Holdings Ltd; Defendant: Terentaal Centre Investments (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: Flora Centre Holdings Ltd; Defendant: Flora Centre Investments (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: Carletonville Centre Holdings Ltd; Defendant: Carletonville Centre Investments (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: Rivonia Square Shopping Mall Holdings Ltd; Defendant: Rovonia Square Shopping Mall Investments (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: Liberty Mall Holdings Ltd; Defendant: Liberty Mall Investments (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: Mont Rouge Residential Estate Development Fund Limited; Defendant: Planet Waves 120 (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: Sharemax Waterfall Estate Ltd; Defendant: Born Free Investments 552 (Pty) Ltd; Defendant: Sharemax Bay Estate Development Fund Ltd; Defendant: Weavind & Weavind Attorneys
Court
North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria
Jurisdiction
South Africa
Judgment Date
22 November 2017
Case Number
1939/15
Procedural Posture
Leave to Appeal / Application for Leave to Appeal Against Judgment Upholding Exception With Costs
Outcome
Application for leave to appeal dismissed with costs.
Judges
E Molahlehi
Legal Topics
Exception Procedure, Scheme of Arrangement, Companies Act Section 311, Jurisdiction of Court, Fraudulent Orders, Non Joinder

Case Brief

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Parties

Jason Malcolm James Crisp

Plaintiff

Sangeetha Naidoo N.O

Plaintiff

Moonsamy Naidoo N.O

Plaintiff

Warren Ian Clive Graham Halford

Plaintiff

Sharemax Investments (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

Libenberg David Ryk van der Merwe N.O

Defendant

Gerhadus Rossouw Goosen

Defendant

Johannes Wilem Botha

Defendant

Dominique Haese

Defendant

Andre’ Daniel Brand

Defendant

Dirk Koekemoer

Defendant

Frontier Asset Management Investment (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

Centro Property Group (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

Sharemax Growth (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

Fine Asset Investment 119 (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

Advoca Auditing Inc

Defendant

Sarel Johannes Eloff T/A New World Valuation

Defendant

Waldemar Gustav Haese T/S WG Haese and Partners

Defendant

Capicol (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

Nova Property Holdings Limited

Defendant

Nova Property Group Investment

Defendant

The Minister of Finance National Government

Defendant

The Registrar of Banks

Defendant

The South African Reserve Bank

Defendant

The Minister of Trade & Industry National Government

Defendant

The Master of the High Court

Defendant

The Financial Services Board

Defendant

The Registrar of the Financial Services Board

Defendant

Mr Neels Alant N.O

Defendant

Mr Jaco Spies N.O

Defendant

The Registrar of the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission

Defendant

Sharemax Zambezi Retail Park Holdings Ltd

Defendant

Sharemax Zambezi Retail Park Investments (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

The Villa Retail Park Holdings Ltd

Defendant

The Villa Retail Park Investments (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

The Village Holdings Ltd

Defendant

The Village Mall Investments (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

Witbank Highveld Holdings Ltd

Defendant

Witbank Highveld Investments (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

Terentaal Centre Holdings Ltd

Defendant

Terentaal Centre Investments (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

Flora Centre Holdings Ltd

Defendant

Flora Centre Investments (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

Carletonville Centre Holdings Ltd

Defendant

Carletonville Centre Investments (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

Rivonia Square Shopping Mall Holdings Ltd

Defendant

Rovonia Square Shopping Mall Investments (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

Liberty Mall Holdings Ltd

Defendant

Liberty Mall Investments (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

Mont Rouge Residential Estate Development Fund Limited

Defendant

Planet Waves 120 (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

Sharemax Waterfall Estate Ltd

Defendant

Born Free Investments 552 (Pty) Ltd

Defendant

Sharemax Bay Estate Development Fund Ltd

Defendant

Weavind & Weavind Attorneys

Defendant

Procedural Posture

Leave to Appeal / Application for Leave to Appeal Against Judgment Upholding Exception With Costs

  1. 1 Whether the court erred in upholding the exception to the particulars of claim.
  2. 2 Whether the schemes of arrangement sanctioned under section 311 of the Companies Act were void due to alleged illegality or fraud.
  3. 3 Whether the orders sanctioning the schemes can be disregarded as nullities.

Ratio Decidendi

The application for leave to appeal was dismissed because the applicants failed to demonstrate a reasonable prospect that another court would reach a different conclusion. The court found that the orders sanctioning the schemes of arrangement were not fraudulently obtained, that the court had jurisdiction under section 311 of the Companies Act, and that all relevant information was disclosed. The principle that court orders remain valid and enforceable until set aside applies, and the exceptions—lack of jurisdiction or fraud—were not present. The authorities cited by the applicants were distinguishable, as those cases involved orders made without jurisdiction or proper notice, which was...

Court Disposition

Application for leave to appeal dismissed with costs.

Orders

  • The applicants' application for leave to appeal is dismissed with costs.