Confident Concept (Pty) Limited v Member of the Mayoral Committee: Development Planning - City of Johannesburg and Others (617/2018) [2022] ZAGPJHC 982 (13 December 2022)

Confident Concept (Pty) Limited v Member of the Mayoral Committee: Development Planning - City of Johannesburg and Others (617/2018) [2022] ZAGPJHC 982 (13 December 2022)

The MMC's decision to uphold the appeal against the rezoning approval was unlawful and invalid. The MMC acted outside the scope of the appeal by directing the submission of amended building plans, disregarding the extant approval of the original plans. The MMC failed to consider relevant expert reports and based his...

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Citation
[2022] ZAGPJHC 982
Parties
Applicant: Confident Concept (Pty) Limited; Respondent: Member of the Mayoral Committee: Development Planning – City of Johannesburg; Respondent: City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality; Respondent: Lewison, Martin; Respondent: Lewison, Sylvia; Respondent: The Saxonwold & Parkwood Residents’ Association
Court
South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg
Jurisdiction
South Africa
Case Number
617/2018
Procedural Posture
Review Application / Judicial Review of Municipal Appeal Authority Decision
Outcome
The application for judicial review is granted. The MMC's decision is reviewed and set aside. The appeal against the rezoning approval is dismissed, and the approval by the Municipal Planning Tribunal is confirmed. Costs awarded to the applicant against the first and second respondents.
Judges
Adams
Legal Topics
Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, Judicial Review of Municipal Decisions, Town Planning Scheme Interpretation, Rezoning Application, Coverage Requirements, Bias and Rationality
Administrative Law Land and Property Promotion of Administrative Justice Act Judicial Review of Municipal Decisions Town Planning Scheme Interpretation Rezoning Application Coverage Requirements Bias and Rationality

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Parties

Confident Concept (Pty) Limited

Applicant

Member of the Mayoral Committee: Development Planning – City of Johannesburg

Respondent

City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality

Respondent

Lewison, Martin

Respondent

Lewison, Sylvia

Respondent

The Saxonwold & Parkwood Residents’ Association

Respondent

Procedural Posture

Review Application / Judicial Review of Municipal Appeal Authority Decision

  1. 1 Whether the City of Johannesburg, through its MMC, lawfully and validly upheld the appeals against the rezoning approval.
  2. 2 Whether the MMC's directions regarding amended building plans were validly issued.
  3. 3 Whether the impugned decision stands to be reviewed and set aside under PAJA grounds, including failure to consider relevant factors, irrationality, and bias.

Ratio Decidendi

The MMC's decision to uphold the appeal against the rezoning approval was unlawful and invalid. The MMC acted outside the scope of the appeal by directing the submission of amended building plans, disregarding the extant approval of the original plans. The MMC failed to consider relevant expert reports and based his decision on irrelevant factors, such as the relative size of the property and unsupported claims of adverse precedent. The decision was not rationally connected to the information before the MMC and was arbitrary and capricious. There was a reasonable suspicion of bias in the decision-making process. Exceptional circumstances justified the court substituting its own decision...

Court Disposition

The application for judicial review is granted. The MMC's decision is reviewed and set aside. The appeal against the rezoning approval is dismissed, and the approval by the Municipal Planning Tribunal is confirmed. Costs awarded to the applicant against the first and second respondents.

Orders

  • The decision of the first respondent dated 22 August 2017 is reviewed and set aside in its entirety.
  • The appeal by the third, fourth and fifth respondents against the granting of the applicant’s rezoning application and the approval of same is dismissed, and the approval of the rezoning of Remaining Extent of Erf 297, Saxonwold Township, by the Municipal Planning Tribunal is confirmed.