Rakometsi v Rakometsi (C of A (CIV) 54 of 2011) [2012] LSCA 10 (27 April 2012)

IN THE COUR T OF AP PE AL OF LE S OTH O C OF A (CIV) NO. 5 4 / 2 0 1 1 In t h e m a t ter b etween : MOJ ALE F A R AKOME TSI AP PE LLANT AND SE LLO R AKOME TS I R E S P ONDE NT COR AM: HOWIE J A FARLAM J A TE E LE AJ A : Hea r d Deliver ed : 1 8 Ap r il 2 0 1 2 2 7 Ap r il 2 0 1 2 S UMMAR Y J u d gm en t – J u d ge givin g ju d gm en t p u r p or t ed ly cla r ifyin g ea r lier ju d gm en t – wh et h er t h e la t t er ju d gm en t t r u ly in t er p r et a t ive of s om et h in g u n clea r in ea r lier ju d gm en t or wh et h er ea r lier ju d gm en t clea r a n d J u d ge on la t er occa s ion fu n ct u s officio. J UDGME NT HOWIE J A: [1 ] Th e r es p on d en t s u ed t h e a p p ella n t for eject m en t in t h e Ma s er u S u b or d in a te Cou r t in ca s e 4 7 0 / 9 2 . Th e p r op er ty con cer n ed wa s s a id in t h e s u m m on s t o b e a h ou s e. In a la ter ca s e in t h e s a m e cou r t (1 1 5 1 / 9 4 ) eject m en t wa s s ou gh t b y a n d a ga in s t t h e s a m e p a r ties . Th e p r op er ty con cer n ed wa s r efer r ed t o in t h e s u m m on s a s t h r ee u n n u m b er ed r es id en tia l s ites . [2 ] An or d er of eject m en t wa s gr a n ted . It wa s given in ca s e 4 7 0 / 9 2 , b ein g t h e on ly ca s e of t h e two wh ich p r oceed ed t o a h ea r in g. In er r or t h e m a gis tr a te r efer r ed t o t h e t h r ee u n n u m b er ed s ites . Th e m a gis tr a t e’s or d er h a s n ot b een in clu d ed in t h e r ecor d . [3 ] Th e a p p ella n t a p p ea led t o t h e High Cou r t in ca s e CIV/ A/ 2 1 / 0 4 a ga in s t t h e eject m en t or d er given in ca s e 4 7 0 / 9 2 . Th e a p p ea l wa s h ea r d b y Mofolo J . He d ea lt wit h t h e m a t ter on t h e b a s is t h a t t h e is s u e b efor e h im con cer n ed t h e t h r ee u n n u m b er ed s ites . He fou n d t h a t two s ites wer e t h e p r op er ty of t h e r es p on d en t a n d t h a t t h e t h ir d wa s t h e p r op er ty of t h e a p p ella n t . However h e con clu d ed h is ju d gm en t wit h ou t m a k in g a n y or d er . Th a t wa s on 1 2 Au gu s t 2 0 0 5 . [4 ] Beca u s e t h e s ite con s id er ed b y Mofolo J to b e t h a t of t h e d efen d a n t h a d b een s old b y on e Ma k a lo Ra k om ets i t o Ma n eo Mos oeu n ya n e in 1 9 9 2 , Ma n eo a n d h er h u s b a n d a p p lied in t h e High Cou r t in J u ly 2 0 0 9 for a n or d er in ter a lia s t a yin g t h e r es p ective ju d gm en t s of t h e m a gis tr a t e a n d Mofolo J p en d in g r es cis s ion of t h e ju d gm en t of Mofolo J (s tr a n gely en ou gh n ot a ls o t h e or d er of t h e m a gis tr a t e) a s h a vin g b een gr a n ted in er r or wit h ou t t h eir h a vin g b een join ed a s p a r ties b efor e t h e m a gis tr a te a n d on a p p ea l. [5 ] A r u le n is i h a vin g b een gr a n ted in Au gu s t 2 0 0 9 p r ovis ion a lly gr a n tin g t h a t r elief, t h e r u le wa s con fir m ed b y Ma h a s e J in S ep t em b er 2 0 0 9 . Pa r a gr a p h s (b ) a n d (c) of h er or d er r ea d (in s o fa r a s is r eleva n t) – “(b ) Th e fin a l ju d gm en t d elivered on th e 1 2 t h d a y of Au gu s t 2 0 0 5 b y th e Hon ou r a b le Mr . J u s tice G. N. Mofolo is s ta yed . (c) Th e s a id ju d gm en t . . . . (is ) res cin d ed a n d s et a s id e a s h a vin g b een gr a n ted in er ror ”. [6 ] Ap a r t fr om t h e er r or in n ot join in g t h e Mos oeu n ya n es , t h e er r or m a d e b y t h e m a gis tr a te a n d Mofolo J wa s to r ega r d t h e eject m en t p r oceed in gs a s a p p lica b le to t h e u n n u m b er ed s ites in s tea d of t h e h ou s e. [7 ] In s eek in g r es cis s ion t h e Mos oeu n ya n es m a d e it p la in t h a t r es cis s ion wa s s ou gh t of t h e wh ole ju d gm en t of Mofolo J . No d ou b t it wou ld h a ve b een p os s ib le t o lim it t h e r es cis s ion s ou gh t h a d Mofolo J m a d e a n or d er d ea lin g s ep a r a t ely wit h t h e ot h er s ites on t h e on e h a n d a n d t h eir s ite on t h e ot h er . Beca u s e t h e J u d ge m a d e n o or d er a t a ll t h e for m u la tion of s u ch lim ited r es cis s ion wa s m a d e d ifficu lt. Bu t it wa s n ot e ven a tt em p t ed . [8 ] Aggr ieved b y t h e b r ea d t h of t h e or d er of Ma h a s e J , t h e r es p on d en t la u n ch ed t h e a p p lica tion wh ich h a s led to t h is a p p ea l. He a p p lied for a d ecla r a tor b a s ed on wh a t h e con ten d ed wa s t h e p r op er con s tr u ction of t h a t or d er n a m ely, t h a t Ma h a s e J ’s or d er r es cin d ed t h e ju d gm en t of Mofolo J on ly in s o fa r a s t h e Mos oeu n ya n e s it e wa s con cer n ed a n d - “d id n ot a ffect th e ju d gm en t a n d or d er of Mofolo J … to th e exten t to wh ich th a t ju d gm en t a n d ord er rela ted to th e oth er two s ites … wh ich a re u n la wfu lly occu p ied b y (th e a p p ella n t).” As a lr ea d y ob s er ved Mofolo J m a d e n o or d er . [9 ] Th e a p p lica tion for t h e d ecla r a t or r efer r ed t o ca m e b efor e Ma h a s e J wh o ga ve a ju d gm en t on 1 4 Sep tem b er 2 0 1 1 cu lm in a tin g in t h e s ta tem en t t h a t - “th e ju d gm en t of m y b r oth er Mofolo J h a s s in ce (s ic) b een res cin d ed in s o fa r a s con cer n s th e (Mos oeu n ya n e) s ite on ly.” Th e wor d “s in ce” wa s in a p p r op r ia te. Th er e wa s n o in ter ven in g or d er wh ich lim ited Mofolo J ’s ju d gm en t . Th a t lim ita tion wa s a tt em p t ed s olely b y Ma h a s e J in h er ju d gm en t of Sep t em b er 2 0 1 1 t h a t is n ow t h e s u b ject of t h e a p p ea l. [1 0 ] Th e a r gu m en t for t h e a p p ella n t wa s t h a t t h e or d er of Ma h a s e J of S ep tem b er 2 0 0 9 wa s u n a m b igu ou s a n d t h a t t h er ea fter t h e lea r n ed J u d ge wa s fu n ctu s officio. For t h e r es p on d en t it wa s s a id t h a t t h e or d er m ea n t, on a p r op er con s tr u ction , t h a t t h e r es cis s ion wa s lim ited t o t h e Mos oeu n ya n e s ite. [1 1 ] Cou n s el for t h e r es p on d en t wa s d r iven to a r gu e t h a t t h e or d er in con ten tion wa s a m b igu ou s wh en r ea d in t h e ligh t of t h e fa ct t h a t t h er e wer e a d m itt ed ly t h r ee s ites a n d t h a t t h e Mos oeu n ya n es ’ b y n ow u n d is p u t ed cla im to on e of t h em m ea n t t h a t r es cis s ion wa s on ly n eces s a r y in r es p ect of t h a t s ite. In t h e Mos oeu n ya n e a p p lica tion t h e r es p on d en t filed a n otice of op p os ition b u t t h e r ecor d con ta in s n o op p os in g a ffid a vit b y h im – if h e ever d id d ep os e to on e. Nor d oes h is fou n d in g a ffid a vit in t h e p r es en t p r oceed in gs r efer to a n y s u ch op p os ition . [1 2 ] Th e con text p r ovid ed b y t h e Mos oeu n ya n e a p p lica tion a n d t h e or d er b y Ma h a s e J of Sep t em b er 2 0 0 9 m a k es it clea r t h a t t h a t a p p lica tion wa s n ot a im ed a t a ch ievin g a lim ited r es cis s ion of Mofolo J ’s or d er . Th e a p p lica n ts wa n ted it s et a s id e in its en tir ety. Th eir p u r p os e wa s , n o d ou b t , t h a t t h ey wou ld h a ve t h e op p or t u n ity to join in t h e eject m en t p r oceed in gs a n d a ch ieve a r es u lt fa vou r a b le t o t h em s elves . Ma h a s e J ’s or d er of S ep tem b er 2 0 0 9 r ea d s con s is t en tly wit h s u ch a n ob jective on t h e p a r t of t h e Mos oeu n ya n es . Her or d er wa s s h or t , s im p le a n d clea r . Mor eover , a lim ited r es cis s ion s of Mofolo J ’s or d er wou ld n ot a s s is t given t h a t t h e m a gis tr a te’s or d er s till s u b s is ted a n d in volved a ll t h r ee s it es . In d eed t h e m a gis tr a te’s or d er s till s ta n d s . [1 3 ] I con clu d e t h a t Ma h a s e J ’s or d er of Sep tem b er 2 0 0 9 wa s u n a m b igu ou s n ot on ly wh en r ea d in is ola tion b u t a ls o wh en r ea d in con text . It is n ot op en t o t h e con s tr u ction u r ged u p on u s b y cou n s el for t h e r es p on d en t. Ha vin g m a d e it, t h e lea r n ed J u d ge wa s t h er ea fter fu n ctu s officio a n d cou ld n ot a m en d it . [1 4 ] In t h e r es u lt t h e a p p ea l m u s t s u cceed . Th e or d er of t h is Cou r t is a s follows : 1 . Th e a p p ea l is a llowed , wit h cos ts . 2 . Th e or d er of t h e cou r t b elow d a ted 1 4 Sep tem b er 2 0 1 1 is s et a s id e. In it s s tea d t h e followin g or d er is m a d e: “Th e a p p lic a t io n c o s t s ”. is d is m is s e d wit h I a gr ee: I a gr ee: ____________________ C. T. H OWIE J US TICE OF APPE AL ____________________ I. G. F AR LAM J US TICE OF APPE AL ______________________ M. E . TE E LE ACTING J US TICE OF APPE AL For t h e a p p ella n t : For t h e r es p on d en t: Ad v. R. D. Setlojoa n e Ad v. K. Nd eb ele