Reprinted from the Daily Maverick. By Alan Van Gysen, 27 May 2020 We thought this article was worth sharing. Nine weeks ago, we said, “we’re all in this together”. As the lockdown has unfolded, it has become clear that nothing could be further from the truth. This article highlights the plight of some Western Cape […]
Divorce Costs in South Africa — Quick Answer Divorce costs in South Africa are not fixed and depend on how the matter proceeds through the court process. The total cost is influenced by whether the divorce is uncontested or contested, whether children or assets are in dispute, and whether interim court applications are required. An […]
Can a tenant win an eviction? It depends. Usually no, but sometimes they can. When can they? When the landlord has not followed the legal eviction procedure. Can you give examples of this? When the landlord does not properly deliver written notices, otherwise known as eviction letters, to the tenant, before going to court. When the […]
What is the eviction process in South Africa? A set of legal rules must be followed to legally evict anyone in South Africa. The general process can be found in the Prevention of Illegal Evictions Act. It is a complicated set of processes, best left to an eviction lawyer to help you with. Generally, the […]
A little-known section of the Wills Act can have serious consequences The High Court of the Western Cape recently heard a case challenging the constitutionality of Section 2B of the Wills Act. The wording of the Act itself is confusing, so we’ll try to explain it in simple terms. If you are going through a […]
As lockdown restrictions ease, what does it mean for the rental market? Lockdown level 4 – are evictions allowed? The easing of the rigorous lockdown rules that governed us for five weeks was met with rejoicing by most South Africans, particularly those with dogs and athletes who were missing their daily runs/cycle rides. More business […]
We’ve written a lot about the scourge of rape and gender-based violence (GBV) in our country. Sadly, we are seeing an increase in incidents during the national lockdown to combat COVID-19. One security company is fighting GBV. It has put in place a system to help its control centre evaluate the level of risk a […]
Lockdown has led to high numbers of arrests. Here’s what to do if it happens to you. Locked up during lockdown? Lockdown has brought with it an increased number of arrests and incidents of police brutality. In the first three weeks of level 5 lockdown, more than 100 charges were laid against the police for […]
Data from the UN population fund, outlining increases in abuse, FGM and child marriage, predicts a grim decade for many women Domestic violence / gender-based violence / violence against women (VAW) – call it what you will. It is a global epidemic arguably worse than COVID-19, because there is no quick fix for it. Self-isolating […]
How much do attorneys charge for evictions? The overall eviction costs depends on the facts, and the attorney’s approach. An experienced and ethical attorney, should first try to negotiate a successful eviction through pre-court mediation. This can be done if the attorney can persuade the tenant to leave voluntarily. An experienced eviction lawyer needs to […]
Another set of amendments to Cape Town’s by-laws has caused a public outcry this week – here’s how the city plans to beef-up police powers. Source: TheSouthAfrican Image via: Brenton Geach / Gallo The City of Cape Town has copped some heat this week, after a set of draft by-laws were opened up to the […]
Lockdown is hard on everyone, but it’s self-evident that it is harder on some than others. Those who live in cramped, unsanitary conditions, those who live with a violent partner, those whose income has dried up – they all have it far worse than those of us working from comfortable homes. We are very careful […]
