ECONOMIC REVIEW

The IMF has released its predictions for GDP i regarding Africa and South Africa in particular. It is predicted that our growth for this year will be 1.4% only and that for next year 1.3%. This is our

BUSINESS REVIEW

It is quite strange that diesel engined motorcars seemed set to take over the market just a few months back. Now the European Automobile Manufacturers Association has suggested that the high levels of nitrous oxides emitted by such engines, may see diesel vehicles no longer being sold.

PetroSA has announced that its Mossel Bay plant could run out of local gas supplies by 2017 as the off shore drilling has yielded only 10% of the expected gas reserves.

There has been much news coverage of students protesting unaffordable university tuition. Simultaneously the National Student Financial Aid Scheme has announced that it was only able to recover 4% of the R6bn disbursed in the 2014/15 financial year; only R5.4bn had been recovered by it between 1999 and 2014. It awarded R 50bn to students between 1991 and 2014. Go figure, tuition for those lucky enough to receive a grant, is practically free.

To entertain and inspire: Durban has joined forces with the New Orleans Essence magazine to host an Essence Festival, a la New Orleans.

On national icons being in trouble:
Shoprite is the 3rd major retailer to be investigated by the NCR for breaches of the NCA. The charge holds that the grocery giant be fined for reckless lending in that it sold retrenchment and occupational disability cover to pensioners and recipients of the government

PROPERTY REVIEW

I note from pictures of new affordable housing developments that, for the 1st time two or three story buildings are being built. This I believe to be progress. It uses less land and concentrates users, thus making the provision of services and transport much cheaper.

PRACTICE REVIEW

I received a note regarding the Debt Collectors Amendment Bill. I did not have the time to read this but the person submitting this to me suggested that the Bill would require attorneys to register its employees as debt collectors.

CIPC has now stabilised and improved its performance but still has a backlog of applications for the disclosure of information.

"Intaxication. The nice feeling you get when you receive a tax refund until you realize it was your own money in the first place."

CASES

The duty to exhaust internal remedies and regulation 50, Municipal Supply Chain Management Regulations

The dispute resolution mechanism, created by regulation 50 of the Municipal Supply Chain Management Regulations, does not constitute an internal remedy as contemplated in the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act
DDP Valuers SCA case 233/15

Partnership liability

It is trite law that a partnership is not a legal person and that, as a result, the individuals of a partnership is liable for the engagements of a partner, acting on behalf of a partnership and within the limits of his authority. In this case, the partnership was dissolved prior to the supply of the goods. Nevertheless, the court held the partnership and therefore the individuals liable.
Bright ideas [2015] JOL 33925 (KCP

Contract of employment containing benefits to which the employee is not entitled.

An employee of the SANDF was employed with benefits to which he was not entitled. A year after his employment, these benefits were withdrawn. He applied in terms of section 23 of the Constitution and alleged that this amounted to an unfair labour practice. The court found that the claimant must have known that he was not entitled to the relevant benefits and struck down his claim.
Opperman SCA case 20752/14

Who exercises ultimate control over schools?

An evergreen source of dispute is the power of governing bodies to determine the admissions policy of schools. The court found that governing body

QUOTABLES

WEIRD & WONDERFUL

LIGHTEN UP

My wife accused me of being a transvestite. So I packed her things and left.

How do you know if an Irishman is at the cockfight?
He enters a duck.
How do you know a Pole is present?
He puts money on the duck.
How do you know if an Italian is present?
The duck wins.

An Irish husband: he hasn