FAKULTEIT REGSGELEERDHEID / FACULTY OF LAW

DEPARTEMENT PRIVAATREG / DEPARTMENT OF PRIVATE LAW

PRIVAATREG 273 / PRIVATE LAW 273

ERFREG / LAW OF SUCCESSION

2de TOETS / 2nd TEST

6 JUNIE 2019 / 6 JUNE 2019

TIME: 1 ¼ HOURS (+ 5 minutes reading

TYD: 1 ¼ UUR (+ 5 minute leestyd)
time)
PUNTE: 35 MARKS: 35

DOSENT: PROF MJ DE WAAL LECTURER: PROF MJ DE WAAL

LET WEL : IMPORTANT :

1. BEANTWOORD AL DIE VRAE. 1. ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS.

2. U ANTWOORDE MOET, WAAR 2. YOUR ANSWERS MUST, WHERE

TOEPASLIK, VERWYSINGS NA EN APPROPRIATE, CONTAIN
BESPREKINGS VAN RELEVANTE REFERENCES TO AND DISCUSSIONS
REGSPRAAK EN WETGEWING OF RELEVANT CASE LAW AND
BEVAT. LEGISLATION.

3. GEEN SELFONE, ELEKTRONIESE 3. NO CELL PHONES, ELECTRONIC

APPARAAT OF SAKREKENAARS EQUIPMENT OR POCKET
WORD TOEGELAAT NIE. CALCULATORS ARE PERMITTED.

1
VRAAG 1/QUESTION 1

Gee bondige antwoorde op die volgende vrae: / Give concise answers to the following
questions:

(a) Dit is gevestigde reg dat daar wêreldwyd formaliteitsvereistes vir die verlyding
van ‘n geldige testament gestel word. Noem enige twee van die funksies wat
aan formaliteitsvereistes toegeskryf word. / It is settled law that formality
requirements are stipulated worldwide for the execution of a valid will. Name
any two of the functions ascribed to formality requirements.

(b) Moet ‘n testateur ‘n testament in die teenwoordigheid van die twee getuies
onderteken? Motiveer. / Must a testator sign the will in the presence of the
two witnesses? Motivate.

(c) Gestel ‘n hof word in dieselfde regsgeding gekonfronteer met sowel ‘n aansoek
om sy kondonasiebevoegdheid ingevolge art 2(3) van die Wet op Testamente
7 van 1953 uit te oefen as ‘n aansoek om die betrokke testament ongeldig te
verklaar weens ‘n beweerde gebrek aan testeerbevoegdheid aan die kant van
die testateur. Verduidelik kortliks aan die hand van Harlow v Becker NO 1998
(4) SA 639 (D) hoe die hof die bewyslas rakende hierdie twee aansoeke moet
hanteer. / Assume that, in the same case, a court is confronted with both an
application to apply its power of condonation in terms of s 2(3) of the Wills Act
7 of 1953 and an application to declare the will in question invalid on the basis
of the testator’s alleged lack of testamentary capacity. Explain briefly with
reference to Harlow v Becker NO 1998 (4) SA 639 (D) how the court must handle
the burden of proof with regard to these two applications.

(d) T het ‘n geldige testament. Sy skryf op ‘n los vel papier: “Hiermee herroep ek
my testament” en onderteken die verklaring. Is dit ‘n effektiewe
herroepingshandeling ingevolge die gemenereg? Motiveer. Indien dit nie
effektief is nie, is daar ‘n alternatiewe wyse waarop effek aan die verklaring
gegee kan word? Motiveer. / T has a valid will. She writes on a loose sheet of
paper: “I hereby revoke my will” and she signs the declaration. Is this an
effective act of revocation in terms of the common law? Motivate. If it is not
effective, is there an alternative way in which effect can be given to the
declaration? Motivate.

(e) Kan art 2A van die Wet op Testamente 7 van 1953 toegepas word met
betrekking tot ‘n afskrif (byvoorbeeld ‘n ongetekende kopie) van ‘n testament?
Motiveer kortliks met verwysing na die feite van uitspraak in Webster v The
Master and Others 1996 (1) SA 34 (D). / Can s 2A of the Wills Act 7 of 1953 be
applied with regard to a copy of a will (for example, an unsigned copy)?
Motivate briefly with reference to the facts of and judgment in Webster v The
Master and Others 1996 (1) SA 34 (D).
5 x (2)
[10]

2
VRAAG 2/QUESTION 2

Bestudeer die twee bladsye van die dokument op die volgende bladsy van die vraestel
en beantwoord dan die volgende vrae:

(a) Voldoen hierdie dokument aan die formele vereistes vir die verlyding van ‘n
geldige testament gestel in art 2(1)(a) van die Wet op Testamente 7 van 1953?
Lewer volledig kommentaar op alle relevante aspekte. Neem ook in ag dat (i)
die testateur op 12 April 2019 oorlede is; en (ii) dat die prokureur (HH Ranchod)
die testament vir die eerste keer op 19 April 2019 gesien het. (NB: by hierdie
vraag moet u die hof se kondonasiebevoegdheid ingevolge art 2(3) van die Wet
op Testamente ignoreer.)
(10)
(b) Gestel die testament is geldig. Welke bedrag geld sal Cyril Khumalo ingevolge
klousule 3 van die testament kan erf? Motiveer.
(3)
(c) Gestel die testament is in sy geheel ongeldig. Is daar enige moontlikheid dat
slegs aan bladsy 2 van die dokument as ‘n geldige testament uitvoering gegee
kan word? Motiveer.
(2)

Study the two pages of the document on the next page of the test paper and then
answer the following questions:

(a) Does this document comply with the formal requirements for the execution of
a valid will contained in s 2(1)(a) of the Wills Act 7 of 1953? Comment in detail
on all relevant aspects. Also take into account that (i) the testator died on 12
April 2019; and (ii) that the attorney (HH Ranchod) saw the will for the first
time on 19 April 2019. (NB: for purposes of this question you must ignore the
court’s power of condonation in terms of s 2(3) of the Wills Act.)
(10)

(b) Assume that the will is valid. Which amount of money will Cyril Khumalo be
able to inherit in terms of clause 3 of the will? Motivate.
(3)

(c) Assume that the will as a whole is invalid. Is there any possibility that effect
can be given only to page 2 of the document as a valid will? Motivate.
(2)
[15]

NB: SIEN VOLGENDE BLADSY VIR DOKUMENT/NB: SEE NEXT PAGE FOR DOCUMENT

3
 TESTAMENT/WILL

Bladsy 1/Page 1
Getuie/Witness: JhN

1 Ek, Peter Martin Smith (ID 456789), herroep hiermee alle vorige
testamente en bemaak my bates soos hieronder uiteengesit. / I, Peter
Martin Smith (ID 456789), hereby revoke all previous wills and bequeath
my assets as set out below.

2 Ek bemaak my Toyota aan my dogter Jane Smith. / I bequeath my

Toyota to my daughter Jane Smith.
Testateur / Testator: X
In my hoedanigheid as prokureur verklaar ek, HH Ranchod, dat ek myself oortuig
het van die identiteit van die erflater. / I, HH Ranchod, hereby declare in my
capacity as attorney that I have satisfied myself as to the identity of the testator.

HH Ranchod
------------------------
HH Ranchod (Onderteken/Signed: 2 Mei/May 2019)

Bladsy 2/Page 2

3 Ek bemaak R500 000 R10 000 aan my kollega Cyril Khumalo. / I

bequeath R500 000 R10 000 to my colleague Cyril Khumalo. X
4 Ek bemaak die restant van my bates aan my eggenoot Barbara Smith. /
I bequeath the residue of my assets to my spouse Barbara Smith.

5 My prokureur HH Ranchod moet die eksekuteur van my boedel wees. /

My attorney HH Ranchod must be the executor of my estate.
Getuie/Witness: PLJ Cupido

Onderteken deur die testateur en getuies op 2 April 2019. / Signed by the

testator and witnesses on 2 April 2019.
Testateur / Testator: X Getuie/Witness: JhN

4
VRAAG 3/QUESTION 3

T het nog nie ‘n testament nie en hy besluit dit is tyd om een op te stel. Hy skryf ‘n
dokument met die hand uit (maar onderteken dit nie), waarin hy uiteensit hoe sy bates
by sy dood verdeel moet word. T bespreek die inhoud van die dokument met sy
eggenoot en sy dui aan dat ook sy 100% tevrede daarmee is. Daarna gee T die
dokument aan sy dogter wat ‘n tweedejaar regstudent is. Hy versoek haar om hom
daaroor te adviseer, om dit “in behoorlike regstaal” te formuleer, en om hom daarna
met die formele verlyding te help. T sterf egter voordat sy dogter na die dokument
kon kyk.

T se eggenoot nader u nou om advies. Sy wil weet of daar ‘n moontlikheid is dat die
betrokke dokument ingevolge art 2(3) van die Wet op Testamente 7 van 1953
gekondoneer kan word. Voorsien haar van u opinie.

T does not yet have a will and he decides that it is time to draft one. He writes a
document out by hand (but does not sign it), in which he sets out how his assets should
be distributed at his death. T discusses the contents of the document with his spouse
and she indicates that she as well is 100% satisfied with it. Following that, T hands the
document to his daughter who is a second year law student. He asks her to advise him
on it, to redraft it “in proper legal language”, and after that to assist him with the
formal execution. However, T dies before his daughter had the opportunity to look at
the document.

T’s spouse now approaches you for advice. She wants to know whether there is a
possibility that the document in question can be condoned in terms of s 2(3) of the
Wills Act 7 of 1953. Provide her with your opinion.

[5]

VRAAG 4/QUESTION 4

Sal die simboliese vernietiging van ‘n afskrif van ‘n testament (deur byvoorbeeld twee
strepe oor elkeen van die bladsye daarvan te trek) ingevolge die gemenereg tot die
effektiewe herroeping van die testament aanleiding gee? Motiveer met bespreking
van relevante regspraak. (‘n “Afskrif” van ‘n testament verwys hier na ‘n ongetekende
kopie van die testament, of na ‘n fotostaat van die oorspronklike ondertekende
testament.)

Will the symbolic destruction of a copy of a will (for example, by drawing two lines
through each one of its pages) lead to the effective revocation of the will in terms of
the common law? Motivate with discussion of relevant case law. (A “copy” of a will
here refers to an unsigned copy of the will, or to a photocopy of the original signed
will.)

[5]
Totaal/Total: 35