Rankhethoa and Another v Letuxa and Another (CIV/T 430 of 84) [1991] LSCA 47 (29 April 1991)

C I V / T / 4 3 0 / 84 IN T HE H I GH C O U RT OF L E S O T HO In t he m a t t er of : M A H AO R A N K H E T H OA T H U SO R A N K H E T H OA 1st A p p l i c a nt 2nd A p p l i c a nt vs M P A T L U OA L E T U XA T HE D E P U TY S H E R I FF FOR T HE D I S T R I CT OF L E R I BE 1st R e s p o n d e nt 2 nd R e s p o n d e nt J U D G M E NT D e l i v e r ed by t he H o n. Mr. J u s t i ce M . L . L e h o h la on t he 2 9 th d ay of A p r i l, 1991 T he a p p l i c a n ts h e r e in s e ek to o b t a in an o r d er : 1. R e s c i n d i ng and s e t t i ng a s i de t he d e f a u lt j u d g m e nt g r a n t ed e a r l i er in a j u d g m e nt e n t e r ed in f a v o ur of t he t h en p l a i n t i ff M p a t l u oa L e t u ka a g a i n st t he t h en d e f e n d a n ts M a h ao R a n k h e t h oa and T h u so R a n k h e t h oa r e s p e c t i v e l y. T he a p p l i c a n ts a l so seek an o r d er of r e t r i al in t he C i v il T r i al N u m b er 4 30 of 1 9 8 4. 2. R e s t r a i n i ng and r e s t r i c t i ng t he 2nd r e s p o n d e nt f r om : ( a) E x e c u t i ng and l e v y i ng w r i ts of e x e c u t i on on a p p l i c a n t s. ( b) R e s t r a i n i ng and r e s t r i c t i ng s e l l i ng a nd d i s p o s i ng of any p r o p e r ty e x e c u t ed a g a i n st t he r e s p o n d e n t s. T he a p p l i c a n ts r e ly on t h e ir own a f f i d a v i ts s u p p o r t ed by those of M r. G a b r i el N. M o f o lo all f i l ed in N o v e m b er 1 9 8 9. T h ey a l so r e ly on r e p l i es c o n t a i n ed in t h e ir own a f f i d a v i ts i n c l u d i ng a f r e sh o ne of M rs A d e l i ce M . M o f o lo all f i l ed in D e c e m b er 1 9 8 9. / W i t h o ut - 2 - W i t h o ut l e a ve of C o u rt and m u ch long a f t er t he r e s p o n d e n ts had f i l ed t h e ir a n s w e r i ng a f f i d a v i ts and r e p l i es r e l e v a nt t h e r e to w e re f i l ed the a p p l i c a n ts f i l ed a f u r t h er a f f i d a v it s t y l ed " S u p p o r t i ng A f f i d a v i t" s w o rn to by o ne C. L e c h e sa d e s c r i b i ng h i m s e lf as C h a i r m an of t he B o a rd of T r a n s p o rt in t he M i n i s t ry of T r a n s p o rt and T r a f f i c. T h is a f f i d a v it w as f i l ed on 2 6 th M a r c h, 1 9 9 0. M r. M o f o lo for t he a p p l i c a n ts a r g u ed t h at if t h is d o c u m e nt i.e. t he a f f i d a v it of C. L e c h e sa is n ot a c c e p t ed t he c a se f or t he a p p l i c a nt d e f e n d a n ts w o u ld be p r e j u d i c e d. He b u t t r e s s ed his a r g u m e nt by s t r e s s i ng t h at t he e l e m e nt of p r e j u d i ce w i ll t he m o re k e e n ly be f e lt b e c a u se t he j u d g m e nt s o u g ht to be r e s c i n d ed had b e en g i v en w i t h o ut a ny oral e v i d e n ce h a v i ng b e en h e a rd in t he p r o c e e d i n g s. In r e p ly O r. T s o t si s u b m i t t ed t h at t h is a p p l i c a t i on w as p r e s u m a b ly m a de in t e r ms of R u le 4 5 ( 1 ) ( c) r e a d i ng : "The C o u rt m ay in a d d i t i on to a ny o t h er p o w e rs it m ay h a ve m e ro m o tu or u p on t he a p p l i c a t i on of a ny p a r ty a f f e c t e d, r e s c i nd or v a ry - (c) an o r d er or j u d g m e nt g r a n t ed as a r e s u lt of a m i s t a ke c o m m on to t he p a r t i e s ". M r. M o f o lo u r g ed on t he C o u rt to c o n s i d er t h at b e c a u se t he m a t t er c a me b e f o re C o u rt t he p l a i n t i ff m a de a s w o rn s t a t e m e nt t h at he had a t r a n s p o r t a t i on p e r m it to c o n v ey g o o ds and p a s s e n g e r s. He s u b m i t t ed f u r t h er t h at t he c r ux of t he m a t t er c o n s i s ts in t he p l a i n t i ff p r o v i ng t h at he h as such a p e r m i t. If he had it t h at w o u ld be t he end of t he m a t t e r. But if he d i d n 't t h en t he a p p l i c a t i on is w e ll c o n c e i v e d. M r. M o f o lo p o i n t ed o ut t h at t he p l a i n t i ff in f a ct had no t r a n s p o r t a t i on p e r m i t. He a c c o r d i n g ly s u b m i t t ed t h at t he p l a i n t i ff w as n ot e n t i t l ed to t r a de as he d i d. T h us t he C o u rt c o u ld not s u p p o rt him in w h at w as l a c k i ng in his c a s e. / R e l y i ng - 3 - R e l y i ng on J o n es and B u c k le 7th E d. p a g es 119 and 1 2 0, D r. T s o t si s u b m i t t ed t h at a m i s t a ke c o m m on to t he p a r t i es o c c u rs w h e re t he p a r t i es a re b o th m i s t a k en as to t he c o r r e c t n e ss of c e r t a in f a c t s. It is n ot a p p l i c a b le w h e re t he m i s t a ke is t h at of o ne of t he p a r t i es o n l y. He w e nt f u r t h er to s h ow t h at t he g r o u n ds u p on w h i ch t he r u le a l l o ws a j u d g m e nt to be r e s c i n d ed in c e r t a in c a s es of e r r or c a n n ot a l t er t he c o m m on law to t he e f f e ct t h at a n o n - f r a u d u l e nt m i s r e p r e s e n t a t i on i n c l u d i ng j u s t us e r r or on t he p a rt of t he C o u rt is n ot a g r o u nd f or s e t t i ng a s i de a j u d g m e nt i n d u c ed by e r r o r. S ee H e r b s t e in and V an W i n s en 3rd Ed 4 7 2. A c c o r d i ng to A d v. G . N. M o f o lo t he a l l e g ed m i s t a ke c o m m on to b o th p a r t i es w as t h at on t he g r o u n ds of t he H i gh Court he m et M r. M p o po of t he o f f i ce of t he A t t o r n ey f or t he 1st r e s p o n d e nt and he i n f o r m ed h im t h at t he C o u rt f i le in C I V / T / 4 3 0 / 84 w as m i s s i ng and t he m a t t er w o u ld t h e r e f o re be g i v en a s u b s e q u e nt d a t e. In h is a n s w e r i ng a f f i d a v it M r. M p o po d e n i es t h e se He s t a t es t h at he did n ot d e al w i th a l l e g a t i o n s. C I V / T / 4 3 0 / 84 a nd had no i n f o r m a t i on t h at t he f i le w as m i s s i n g. It a p p e a rs to me t h at t h e re a re m a ny d i s p u t es of f a ct in t h is m a t t e r. F or i n s t a n ce M r. M o f o lo s a ys t h at on 3rd M a r c h, 1 9 89 t he 1st r e s p o n d e nt d id n ot a p p e ar in t he H i gh C o u r t. T he 1st r e s p o n d e nt s u p p o r t ed by his a t t o r n ey a s s e r ts t h at he and h is a t t o r n ey a p p e a r ed in C o u rt t h at day and t he m a t t er w as h e a rd and f i n a l i s ed in t he p l a i n t i f f 's p r e s e n ce and t h at of h is C o u n s e l. I n d e ed my n o t es t a k en as e v i d e n ce of o ne E z e k i el M p a t l u oa L e t u ka s h ow t h at if M p a t l u oa L e t u ka is t he 1st r e s p o n d e nt in t h is m a t t er he did g i ve e v i d e n ce b e f o re me on 3rd M a r ch 1 9 8 9. It is i n c o n c e i v a b le t h at w h en he did so he w as a b s e nt f r om t h is C o u rt t h at d a y. D r. T s o t si s u b m i t t ed t h at M r. M o f o l o 's a l l e g a t i on / t h at - 4 - t h at he f i r st k n ew w h en w r i ts w e re s e r v ed t h at j u d g m e nt had b e en e n t e r ed a g a i n st t he j u d g m e nt d e b t o rs w as e r r o n e o us b e c a u se A n n e x u re " C" a l e t t er w r i t t en to 1st d e f e n d a n t 's a t t o r n ey i n f o r m ed him on 2 0 th A p r i l, 1989 t h at the j u d g m e nt w as e n t e r ed by d e f a u lt on 3rd M a r ch 1 9 8 9. T h e re is f u r t h er e v i d e n ce of A n n e x u re " D" a N o t i ce of T a x a t i on a d d r e s s ed to t he a p p l i c a n t s' a t t o r n e y s. This d o c u m e nt w as f i l ed in C o u rt long b e f o re t he 1st w r it was f i l e d. It is n e i t h er h e re nor t h e re if t h e se t h i n gs did n ot c o me to A d v o c a te M o f o l o 's n o t i ce for they w e re b r o u g ht to the a p p l i c a n t s' a t t o r n e ys a t t e n t i o n. I h a ve l i s t e n ed to t he a r g u m e n ts and read p a p e rs f i l ed and c a n n ot h e lp c o m i ng to t he c o n c l u s i on t h at t h is a p p l i c a t i on is m i s c o n c e i v e d. I w o u ld t h e r e f o re d i s m i ss it w i th c o s t s. J U D GE 2 9 th A p r i l, 1991 For P l a i n t i ff : Dr. T s o t si For D e f e n d a nt : A d v. G . N. M o f o lo