CIVIL PROCEDURE

SIVIELE PROSESREG
CONSULTATION, LEGAL
REPRESENTATION, DEMAND,
PRESCRIPTION / KONSULTASIE,
REGSVERTEENWOORDIGING,
AANMANING, VERJARING
(CH 3 / HFST 3)
 Chapter 3 / Hfst 3

CONSULTATION, LEGAL REPRESENTATION, DEMAND,

PRESCRIPTION
TEXTBOOK: CHAPTER 3
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
After completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. Indicate which information you must obtain from a client during the first
consultation.
2. Know how to be mandated to represent a person in civil litigation and how to
withdraw as a legal representative.
3. Know the prescription periods relevant with regard to the institution of a civil
action.
4. Know what a demand is and when to send a letter of demand.
 Chapter 3 / Hfst 3

KONSULTASIE, REGSVERTEENWOORDIGING, AANMANING,

VERJARING
HANDBOEK: HOOFSTUK 3
LEERUITKOMSTES
Na voltooing van hierdie eenheid, behoort studente in staat te wees om:
1. Aan te dui watter inligting van die kliënt gedurende die eerste konsultasie bekom moet
word.
2. Weet hoe om instruksie te bekom om ‘n persoon in siviele litigasie te verteenwoordig en
hoe om te onttrek as regsverteenwoordiger.
3. Weet wat ‘n aanmaning is en wanneer om ‘n aanmaning te stuur.
4. Die verjaringsperiodes mbt die instel van siviele verrigtinge te ken
 Chapter 3 / Hfst 3
The initial consultation / Aanvanklike konsultasie

• Conflict check / Konflik van belange?

• Prior indication of fees / Vooraf aanduiding van fooie
• Prior indication of facts? / Vooraf aanduiding van feite?
• Request documentation / Versoek dokumentasie
• Determine cause of action / Bepaal eisoorsaak
• Determine locus standi / Bepaal locus standi
• Determine jurisdiction / Bepaal jurisdiksie
(May require legal research / Mag regsnavorsing verg)
• Terms of engagement / Voorwaardes van verbintenis
• Undertakings re feedback / Ondernemings mbt terugvoer
• Keep client updated (matter and financially) / Hou klient op hoogte
(aangeleentheid en finansieel)
• Other
• Action / Application / Aksie / Aansoek?
• Counsel / Advokaat?
 Chapter 3 / Hfst 3
Instructions to be complete / Volledige instruksies
Take comprehensive notes / Volledige notas
Confirm in writing / Bevestig instruksies op skrif
Instructions direct from your client / Instruksies direk vanaf kliënt
Attorney must be reasonably satisfied about / Prokureur moet redelik tevrede
wees oor die volgende:
• Client’s identity / Kliënt se identiteit
• Client’s capacity to instruct / Handelingsbevoegdheid van kliënt
• Authority of a representative instructor / Gesag van verteenwoordiger
Evidence to support instructions / Bewyse wat instruksies ondersteun
Instructions inconsistent with evidence? / Instruksies teenstrydig met bewyse?
Ensure that you have all the evidence before issuing any court papers / Maak
seker dat jy al die bewyse het voor jy hofstukke uitreik
 Chapter 3 / Hfst 3

Am I able to accept this matter? / Is ek bevoeg om die

aangeleentheid te aanvaar?
Don’t act for client / moenie kliënt verteenwoordig nie
1. Lack of expertise / Gebrek aan kundigheid
2. Potential conflict of interest / Potensiële konflik van belange
3. Client gives unethical, unreasonable, conflicting or fraudulent
instructions / Kliënt gee onetiese, onbillike, konflikterende of
bedrieglike instruksies
4. Time available / tyd beskikbaar
5. Financial means / finansiële middele
 Chapter 3 / Hfst 3

REPRESENTATION / VERTEENWOORDIGING
- Special POA vs general POA / spesiale vs algemene volmag
- Appeal / appél

REPRESENTATION IN THE HIGH COURT / VERTEENWOORDIGING IN

THE HOOGGEREGSHOF
- Self-represent / instruct attorney with right of appearance /
attorney and advocate / self verteenwoordiging / instruksie aan
prokureur met verskyningsbevoegdheid / prokureur en advokaat
- Juristic person / regspersoon
- HCR7 / HHR7
- If authority disputed, must produce mandate
- POA on appeal / volmag op appél
- HCR16 : notice and km / HHR 16: kennisg en km
 7. Power of attorney.—(1) Subject to the provisions of sub-rules (2)
and (3) a power of attorney to act need not be filed, but the authority of
anyone acting on behalf of a party may, within 10 days after it has come to
the notice of a party that such person is so acting, or with the leave of the
court on good cause shown at any time before judgment, be disputed,
whereafter such person may no longer act unless he satisfies the court
that he is authorised so to act, and to enable him to do so the court may
postpone the hearing of the action or application.
(2) The registrar shall not set down any appeal at the instance of an
attorney unless such attorney has filed with the registrar a power of
attorney authorising him to appeal and such power of attorney shall be
filed together with the application for a date of hearing.
(3) An attorney instructing an advocate to appear in an appeal on
behalf of any party other than a party who has caused the appeal to be set
down shall, before the hearing thereof, file with the registrar a power of
attorney authorising him so to act.
(4) Every power of attorney filed by an attorney shall be signed by or
on behalf of the party giving it, and shall otherwise be duly executed
according to law: provided that where a power of attorney is signed on
behalf of the party giving it, proof of authority to sign on behalf of such
party shall be produced to the registrar who shall note that fact on the said
power.
 16. Representation of parties.—(1) If an attorney acts on behalf of
any party in any proceedings, such attorney shall notify all other parties of
this fact and shall supply an address where documents in the proceedings
may be served.
(2) (a) Any party represented by an attorney in any proceedings may
at any time, subject to the provisions of rule 40, terminate such attorney’s
authority to act and may thereafter act in person or appoint another
attorney to act in the proceedings, whereupon such party or the newly
appointed attorney on behalf of such party shall forthwith give notice to
the registrar and to all other parties of the termination of the former
attorney’s authority, and if such party has appointed a further attorney to
act in the proceedings, such party or the newly appointed attorney on
behalf of such party shall give the name and address of the attorney so
appointed.
(b) If such party does not appoint a further attorney, such party shall
in the notice of termination appoint an address within 25.kilometres of
the office of the registrar and an electronic mail address, if available to
such party, for the service on such party at either address, of all
documents in such proceedings as well as such party’s postal or facsimile
addresses where available.
[Para. (b) substituted by GNR.3397 of 12 May 2023 w.e.f. 19
June 2023.]
…
 16. Representation of parties.
(4) (a) Where an attorney acting in any proceedings for a party ceases
so to act, such attorney shall forthwith deliver notice thereof to such party,
the registrar and all other parties: Provided that notice to the party for
whom such attorney acted may be given by facsimile or electronic mail in
accordance with the provisions of rule 4A.
(b) The party formerly represented must within 10 days after the
notice of withdrawal notify the registrar and all other parties of a new
address for service as contemplated in sub-rule (2) whereafter all
subsequent documents in the proceedings for service on such party shall be
served on such party in accordance with the rules relating to service:
Provided that the party whose attorney has withdrawn and who has failed to
provide an address within the said period of 10 days shall be liable for the
payment of the costs occasioned by subsequent service on such party in
terms of the rules relating to service, unless the court orders otherwise.
(c) The notice to the registrar shall state the names and addresses of
the parties notified and the date on which and the manner in which the
notice was sent to them.
…
 REPRESENTATION IN MC / VERTEENWOORDIGING IN LH

Self-represented or legal practitioner / self-verteenwoordig of

regspraktisyn
Advocates must be briefed, limitations on signatory powers / brevet
aan advokate, beperkings op tekenmagte
Candidate attorneys / kandidaat-prokureurs
Rule 52(2): no POA, unless disputed / geen volmag, tensy dispuut
 What is a demand? / Wat is ‘n aanmaning?
– Request for payment/performance of legal
obligation / vereis betaling/nakoming van ‘n regsplig
– Before legal proceedings start / voor regsgeding begin
– Failure to respond to informal requests for
payment/performance / reageer nie op informele
versoeke om betaling/nakoming
– By person/attorney / deur persoon/prokureur
– Only made once / slegs eenmalig
– Obligation to take reasonable steps to ensure demand
reaches recipient / plig om redelike stappe te neem
om te verseker dat aanmaning ontvanger bereik
 Forms of demand / Vorme van aanmaning

– Many forms: orally/in writing (letter of

demand)/Institution of legal action / baie vorme:
mondelings/skriftelik (aanmaningsbrief)/instel van
regsgeding
– Summons may constitute legal 'demand' – no preceding
letter of demand / dagvaarding kan neerkom op
aanmaning – geen voorafgaande aanmaningsbrief
– General rule: sufficient detail to inform recipient of
whole COA / algemene reel: voldoende besonderhede
om ontvanger in te lig rakende hele EO
– Keep in mind: evidentiary effect of letter of demand’s
contents / hou in gedagte: bewysregtelike effek van
inhoud van aanmaning
 Circumstances where demand must be made / Omstandighede
waar aanmaning gemaak moet word

Statute requires demand (‘notice’) / Wetgewing vereis aanmaning

(‘kennisgewing’)

• Institution of Legal Proceedings against Certain Organs of State Act 40

of 2002 / Wet op die Instel van Regsgedinge teen Sekere Staasorgane
• Customs and Excise Act 91 of 1964 / Doeane en Aksyns Wet
– S 96:
• Legal action against department within 1 year of debt becoming due/COA
arising/ regsaksie teen departement binne 1 jaar wat skuld verskuldig word /
EO ontstaan
• Written notice of intention to institute legal proceedings
at least 1 month before legal proceedings instituted / skriftelike kennis van
bedoeling om regsgeding in te stel ten minste 1 maand voor regsgeding
ingestel
 Circumstances where demand must be made / Omstandighede
waar aanmaning gemaak moet word

Statute requires demand (‘notice’) / Wetgewing vereis aanmaning

(‘kennisgewing’)

• National Credit Act 34 of 2005 / Nasionale Kredietwet 34 van

2005
– Various legal requirements in respect of notice and commencement
of legal proceedings / Verskeie regsvereistes mbt kennisgewing en
instel van regsgeding
• Small Claims Court Act 61 of 1984 /Wet op Howe vir Klein Eise
– S 29:
• Plaintiff must deliver letter of demand to defendant by hand/registered post
before legal action taken / Eiser moet aanmaningsbrief lewer aan
verweerder persoonlik of geregistreerde pos voor regsaksie ingestel
• 14 days lapse before SCC summons issued / 14 dae verval voor HKE
dagvaarding uitgereik
 Circumstances where demand must be made / Omstandighede
waar aanmaning gemaak moet word

Demand essential to complete CoA / Aanmaning noodsaaklik om EO te

voltooi
• Payable ‘on demand’ / betaalbaar ‘op aanvraag’
– Contract clause: certain amount payable ‘on demand’ / Kontraktuele
klousule: sekere bedrag betaalbaar ‘op aanvraag’
– Until demanded, not due and payable, no CoA arises for failure to pay / Nie
aangevra voor aanmaning, geen EO ontstaan as gevolg van nie-betaling
– Demand necessary to complete CoA / aanmaning nodig om EO te voltooi
• Notice of breach clauses / kennigewing van verbreking klousules
– Contract stipulation: parties may not commence action for breach of
contract, unless party intending to commence action gives written notice
of intention / kontraktuele stipulasie: partye kan nie regsaksie begin vir
kontrakbreuk tensy party wie van plan is om aksie in te stel skriftelike
kennis gee van voorneme
– No notice, no COA / Geen kennis, geen EO
 Circumstances where demand must be made / Omstandighede
waar aanmaning gemaak moet word

Demand essential to complete CoA / Aanmaning noodsaaklik om EO te voltooi

• Placing debtor ‘in mora’ / Plaas skuldenaar ‘in mora’

– Contract does not stipulate specific time for
performance / kontrak spesifiseer nie spesifieke tyd vir
prestasie
– Not clear from contract when performance due / nie
duidelik uit kontrak wanneer prestasie verskuldig is nie
– To establish CoA: performance demanded and reasonable
time given for performance / om EO te vestig: prestasie
vereis en redelike tyd gegee daarvoor
 Circumstances where demand must be made / Omstandighede
waar aanmaning gemaak moet word

Demand essential to complete CoA / Aanmaning noodsaaklik om EO te

voltooi

• Demand to give right of cancellation /

Aanmaning om reg te verkry om te kanselleer
– Letter of demand necessary / Aanmaning nodig
• Agreement doesn’t contain cancellation clause /
Ooreenkoms bevat nie kansellasie klousule