South Africa Case Law

MTN (Pty) Ltd v Madzonga and Others (19139/14)

MTN (Pty) Ltd v Madzonga and Others (19139/14) [2023] ZAGPJHC 188; 2023 (5) SA 548 (GJ) (7 March 2023)

Court

South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg

Case number

19139/14

Judge

S D J Wilson

The court held that section 35(3)(j) of the Constitution entrenches the right against self-incrimination for accused persons, which includes the right not to be compelled to give self-incriminating evidence. The text of the Constitution is not restricted to testimonial utterances and, when interpreted generously and purposively, extends to the compelled disclosure of documents in civil proceedings where parallel criminal proceedings are pending. The absence of statutory limitation on this right in the context of civil discovery means that a party may validly object to discovery if the materia…

Source excerpt

• Self Incrimination
• Discovery Procedure
• Section 35 Rights
• Parallel Criminal Proceedings