South Africa Case Law

Dube Tradeport Corporation v SMEC South Africa Proprietary Limited (17213/2022P)

Dube Tradeport Corporation v SMEC South Africa Proprietary Limited (17213/2022P) [2024] ZAKZPHC 111 (26 November 2024)

Court

Kwazulu-Natal High Court, Pietermaritzburg

Case number

17213/2022P

Judge

Pietersen

The High Court dismissed an exception to particulars of claim in a contractual negligence dispute, finding the interpretation and prescription issues could not be decided on exception.

• Exception Procedure
• Contractual Limitation Of Liability
• Prescription
• Professional Negligence
• Pleading Requirements
• Interpretation Of Contracts

Voermol Feeds (Pty) Ltd v Hattingh (13225/2010)

Voermol Feeds (Pty) Ltd v Hattingh (13225/2010) [2019] ZAKZDHC 28 (5 November 2019)

Court

Kwazulu-Natal High Court, Durban

Case number

13225/2010

Judge

Henriques

The court found that the defendant's counter-claim was based in delict but relied exclusively on the breach of contractual duties owed by the plaintiff. The defendant did not plead an independent cause of action unrelated to the contract. Clause 6 of the agreement expressly excluded liability for indirect or consequential damages, including those arising from negligence, and limited direct damages to the purchase price of the goods. The defendant conceded these limitations. South African law, as established in Lillicrap and subsequent cases, does not permit Aquilian liability where the neglig…

Source excerpt

• Contractual Limitation Of Liability
• Pure Economic Loss
• Negligent Advice
• Exclusion Of Claims
• Concurrent Liability
• Duty Of Care

Letsema Telecomms (Pty) Ltd v Telkom SA Ltd (46629/2014)

Letsema Telecomms (Pty) Ltd v Telkom SA Ltd (46629/2014) [2015] ZAGPPHC 937 (9 September 2015)

Court

North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria

Case number

46629/2014

Judge

Manamela

High Court held that limitation-of-liability clauses did not clearly exclude a claim for repudiation damages tied to a local test facility, so the exception failed.

• Contractual Limitation Of Liability
• Repudiation
• Damages For Breach
• Exception Procedure
• Contractual-limitation-of-liability
• Exception-procedure

SASFIN Bank Ltd v Ke Concepts (Pty) Ltd

SASFIN Bank Ltd v Ke Concepts (Pty) Ltd [2007] ZAGPHC 380; 18263/06 (8 May 2007)

Court

High Courts - Gauteng

Case number

18263/06

Judge

Willis

The High Court upheld an exception, finding the plaintiff’s damages claim barred by a clear contractual limitation-of-liability clause.

• Contractual Limitation Of Liability
• Breach Of Warranty
• Exception To Pleadings
• Contractual-limitation-of-liability
• Breach-of-warranty
• Exception-to-pleadings

Pfeiffer v First National Bank of Southern Africa Ltd (230/96)

Pfeiffer v First National Bank of Southern Africa Ltd (230/96) [1998] ZASCA 50; 1998 (3) SA 1018 (SCA); [1998] 3 All SA 397 (A) (28 May 1998)

Court

Supreme Court of Appeal

Case number

230/96

Judges

Harms JA, Nienaber JA, Marais JA

The court held that payments by a principal debtor cannot be appropriated to reduce a surety’s separate liability where the debts are not co-extensive.

• Suretyship Liability
• Appropriation Of Payments
• Compound Interest
• Contractual Limitation Of Liability
• Suretyship-liability
• Appropriation-of-payments