Kwadukuza Municipality v Stangvest Investments (Pty) Ltd and Others (AR134/22) [2023] ZAKZPHC 112 (16 October 2023)

Kwadukuza Municipality v Stangvest Investments (Pty) Ltd and Others (AR134/22) [2023] ZAKZPHC 112 (16 October 2023)

The court held that the operation of a hardware store by Jabula Hardware on Erf 981 did not contravene the KwaDukuza Land Use Management Scheme's Mixed Core Use 3 zoning, as a hardware shop is a permitted retail activity and does not constitute a builder's supply yard, which refers to open land for industrial-scale...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
[2023] ZAKZPHC 112
Parties
Appellant: Kwadukuza Municipality; Respondent: Stangvest Investments (Pty) Ltd; Respondent: Jabula Hardware; Respondent: Luqmaan Dhooma; Respondent: Yunoos Dhooma; Respondent: Bikrum Singh
Court
Kwazulu-Natal High Court, Pietermaritzburg
Jurisdiction
South Africa
Case Number
AR134/22
Procedural Posture
Civil Appeal / Appeal From Dismissal of Urgent Application for Interdict and Eviction; Leave Granted by Sca; Full Bench Hearing
Outcome
Appeal dismissed with costs; punitive costs order set aside and substituted with ordinary costs order.
Judges
Chetty, Balton, Vahed
Legal Topics
Municipal Zoning, Town Planning Schemes, Urgent Interdict, Building Regulations, Certificate of Occupation, Selective Enforcement
Land and Property Civil Procedure Administrative Law Municipal Zoning Town Planning Schemes Urgent Interdict Building Regulations Certificate of Occupation +1 more

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Parties

Kwadukuza Municipality

Appellant

Stangvest Investments (Pty) Ltd

Respondent

Jabula Hardware

Respondent

Luqmaan Dhooma

Respondent

Yunoos Dhooma

Respondent

Bikrum Singh

Respondent

Procedural Posture

Civil Appeal / Appeal From Dismissal of Urgent Application for Interdict and Eviction; Leave Granted by Sca; Full Bench Hearing

  1. 1 Whether the operation of a hardware store on Erf 981 contravenes the KwaDukuza Land Use Management Scheme zoning for Mixed Core Use 3.
  2. 2 Whether the use of municipal parking (Erf 3108) as a builder's supply yard or for offloading/loading of trucks is unlawful under the Scheme.
  3. 3 Whether alterations to the building on Erf 981 required building plan approval and a certificate of occupation under the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act.

Ratio Decidendi

The court held that the operation of a hardware store by Jabula Hardware on Erf 981 did not contravene the KwaDukuza Land Use Management Scheme's Mixed Core Use 3 zoning, as a hardware shop is a permitted retail activity and does not constitute a builder's supply yard, which refers to open land for industrial-scale storage. The municipality's attempt to restrict use of the adjacent municipal parking (Erf 3108) was irrational and selectively enforced, as similar businesses were not targeted. The alleged building alterations were minor and did not warrant planning approval or a new certificate of occupation; the dispute of fact could not be resolved on the papers. The municipality's...

Court Disposition

Appeal dismissed with costs; punitive costs order set aside and substituted with ordinary costs order.

Orders

  • The applicant is granted leave to withdraw its claim against the fourth respondent and is directed to pay the fourth respondent's costs up to and including 24 January 2020.
  • The application as against the first, second, third and fifth respondents is dismissed with costs.