Seqhobane v The Liquidator Lesotho Bank ( in Liquidation) (C of A (CIV) 3 of 2011) [2012] LSCA 25 (27 April 2012)

IN THE COUR T OF AP PE AL OF LE S OTH O C OF A (CIV) NO.3 / 2 0 1 1 In t h e m a t ter b etween :- LE BE KO SE QHOBANE APPE LLANT AND THE LIQUIDATOR ; LE S OTH O BANK RE S PONDE NT (IN LIQUIDATION) HE AR D : 1 3 Ap r il 2 0 1 2 DE LIVE R E D: 2 7 Ap r il 2 0 1 2 COR AM: S MALBE RGE R, J A FARLAM, J A TE E LE , AJ A S UMMAR Y Pr a ctice – Recor d in com p let e a n d u n in telligib le in p a r t – n ot p os s ib le t o im p r ove it – J u d gm en t s et a s id e – ca s e r em it ted for r eh ea r in g d e n o v o b efor e a n ot h er ju d ge. J UDGME NT F a r la m , J A [1 ] Th is is a n a p p ea l a ga in s t a High Cou r t ju d gm en t gr a n ted on 9 Decem b er 2 0 1 0 b y Ly o n s J a ga in s t t h e a p p ella n t in fa vou r of t h e r es p on d en t for p a ym en t of M8 4 0 0 8 -9 1 , in ter es t a n d cos ts a n d d ecla r in g cer ta in p r op er ties wh ich a r e s u b ject t o d eed s of h yp ot h eca tion to b e s p ecia lly execu ta b le. [2 ] Th e a p p ella n t a p p ea led a ga in s t t h is ju d gm en t on 1 0 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 1 b u t fa iled t o lod ge wit h t h e Regis tr a r t h e cop ies of t h e r ecor d of t h e p r oceed in gs in t h e High Cou r t r equ ir ed b y Cou r t of Ap p ea l Ru le 5 (1 ) or t o s er ve a cop y of t h e r ecor d on t h e r es p on d en t wit h in t h e t h r ee m on t h p er iod r efer r ed t o in t h e r u le. [3 ] On 2 8 Ap r il 2 0 1 1 t h e Pr es id en t of t h is Cou r t gr a n ted a n or d er con d on in g t h e a p p ella n t’s fa ilu r e t o file t h e r ecor d of t h e p r oceed in gs tim eou s ly a n d or d er ed h im to d o s o on or b efor e 2 7 Ma y 2 0 1 1 . [4 ] Th e a p p ella n t d id n ot file t h e r ecor d a s or d er ed . In d eed h e exp er ien ced s er iou s d ifficu lt ies wit h t h e p r ep a r a tion of t h e r ecor d a s t h e t a p e on wh ich t h e evid en ce of t h e a p p ella n t wa s r ecor d ed wa s m is s in g. Th e a va ila b le ta p es wer e tr a n s cr ib ed b u t t h e tr a n s cr ip ts con ta in ed m a n y gr a m m a tica l a n d s p ellin g er r or s a n d wer e im p os s ib le to r ea d a n d u n d er s ta n d . [5 ] Th e in com p let e a n d u n cor r ected r ecor d , s u ch a s it wa s , wa s filed b u t it wa s clea r t h a t it wa s n ot a ccep ta b le a n d t h a t a r econ s tr u cted r ecor d wou ld h a ve to b e filed . [6 ] Th e m a t ter wa s en r olled for h ea r in g b y t h is Cou r t d u r in g t h e Oct ob er 2 0 1 1 ter m a n d on 3 Octob er 2 0 1 1 Sc o t t J A p os t p on ed t h e a p p ea l t o t h is ter m t o a llow t h e a p p ella n t t o file a r econ s tr u cted r ecor d . [7 ] In h is h ea d s of a r gu m en t , wh ich wer e filed on 1 5 Ma r ch t h is yea r , t h e r es p on d en t’s cou n s el p oin ted ou t t h a t t h e r econ s tr u ct ed r ecor d h a d n ot b een filed a n d h e con ten d ed t h a t t h e a p p ea l s h ou ld b e h eld t o h a ve la p s ed in t er m s of Ru le 5 (3 ) of t h is Cou r t’s Ru les or t h a t t h e Cou r t s h ou ld s tr ik e t h e a p p ea l fr om t h e r oll wit h cos t s . [8 ] Th e a p p ella n t’s h ea d s , toget h er wit h wh a t wa s d es cr ib ed a s t h e ‘Recon s tr u cted Recor d ’, wa s filed on 1 2 Ap r il 2 0 1 2 , t h e d a y b efor e t h e d a te on wh ich t h e m a t ter wa s s et d own for h ea r in g. [9 ] In a n a ffid a vit h a n d ed u p a t t h e h ea r in g of t h e a p p ea l t h e a p p ella n t exp la in ed in s om e d et a il t h e d ifficu lties h is cou n s el h a d en cou n ter ed in en d ea vou r in g t o p r od u ce a n a ccep ta b le r ecor d . Ap a r t fr om t h e fa c ts t h a t t h e ta p e on wh ich t h e a p p ella n t’s evid en ce wa s r ecor d ed wa s m is s in g a n d t h a t a t tem p ts to r econ s tr u ct wh a t h e h a d s a id h a d p r oved fr u itles s , it a ls o a p p ea r ed t h a t a good d ea l of wh a t wa s r ecor d ed on t h e ta p es wh ich wer e a va ila b le wa s in a u d ib le. In t h e cir cu m s t a n ces cou n s el for t h e r es p on d en t ver y fa ir ly con ced ed t h a t t h e a p p ella n t h a d tr ied to com p ly wit h t h e or d er m a d e b y S c o t t J A on 3 Octob er 2 0 1 1 b u t t h a t it wa s im p os s ib le to im p r ove on t h e r ecor d . [1 0 ] Cou n s el wer e t h en a gr eed t h a t t h e p r oced u r e a d op t ed in De p a r t m e n t o f J u s t ic e v Ha r t z e n be r g 2 0 0 2 (1 ) SA 1 0 3 (LAC), wh er e a s im ila r p r ob lem h a d a r is en , s h ou ld b e followed in t h is ca s e, viz, t h a t t h e or d er of t h e cou r t a q u o b e s et a s id e a n d t h e m a tt er r em itt ed to th e High Cou r t for h ea r in g d e n o vo b efor e a n ot h er J u d ge, wit h t h e cos ts a t fir s t in s ta n ce a n d on a p p ea l to b e cos t s in t h e r eh ea r in g. [1 1 ] Th a t is clea r ly t h e cor r ect or d er in t h e cir cu m s t a n ces , s u b ject to on e p oin t . Th er e wa s n o exp la n a t ion a s t o wh y t h e a p p ella n t’s h ea d s a n d t h e ‘r econ s tr u ct ed r ecor d ’ wer e on ly filed t h e d a y b efor e t h e h ea r in g a n d t h e a p p ella n t’s a ffid a vit a s k in g for con d on a tion of t h e la te filin g of t h es e d ocu m en ts wa s on ly h a n d ed u p a t t h e h ea r in g. Th is is clea r ly u n a ccep t a b le a n d in m y view it is a p p r op r ia te t h a t t h e a p p ella n t , even if h e s u cceed s a t t h e r e-h ea r in g, s h ou ld b e d ep r ived of t h e cos ts of t h e h ea r in g on 1 3 Ap r il 2 0 1 2 . [1 2 ] Th e followin g or d er is m a d e: 1 . Th e a p p ea l s u cceed s . Th e or d er of t h e cou r t a q u o is s et a s id e a n d t h e m a t ter is r em it ted to t h e High Cou r t for r eh ea r in g d e n o v o b efor e a n ot h er ju d ge 2 . Th e a p p ella n t is n ot en titled t o t h e cos t s of t h e h ea r in g in t h is Cou r t on 1 3 Ap r il 2 0 1 2 . All ot h er cos ts a t fir s t in s ta n ce a n d on a p p ea l a r e t h e r eh ea r in g. t o b e cos t s in 3 . Th e Regis tr a r of t h e High Cou r t is r equ es ted t o give t h e m a t ter p r ior ity on t h e High Cou r t r oll. I. G. F AR LAM J US TICE OF AP PE AL I a gr ee J . W. S MALBE R GE R J US TICE OF AP PE AL I a gr ee M. E . TE E LE ACTING J US TICE OF AP PE AL F o r Ap p e lla n t F o r R e s p o n d e n t : : Ad v . M. M. Ma n y o k o le Ad v . S. Ma le ba n y e