ECONOMY

Whilst the KZN gross economic index is up 1% from a year ago, our economic stress index for this province has increased 3.2% yoy.

The OECD projects growth in the Euro Zone at only 0.8% this year. It similarly projects US economic growth at 2.1%.

BUSINESS

On the morning of October 9 we will be hosting a series of short talks on white

PROPERTY

Seef says that it currently takes an average house two weeks to sell. This is attributed to pent up demand. I confess to scepticism as regards the selling time, possibly Seef sells better than others?.
On this tack: Cape Town is reported to be one of the world's top 22nd home buying destinations. Yawn.

Oddly enough, builders report that confidence in that sector is picking up, according to the FNB/BER Building Confidence Index. Typically our property booms start with residential property and move on to commercial and office properties. Given the somewhat dire state of our economy, the only reason that the increased confidence may be attributed to is the build

PRACTICE

The business model adopted by Docex is that it uses Post Office transport but distributes via its own network of offices. This has backfired in that the Post Office strike has affected the delivery of Docex post, which is funny, given that Docex was started as an alternative to regular post.

CASES

Love, the loss thereof and the abstract theory

Old men in love promise anything, amongst others, property. Where such property was promised but given to a successor to such affection.., two principles in property law were illustrated (aside from the fact that one should cash in on such fleeting affection quickly). Firstly, the abstract theory applied to conveyancing, provides that the validity of the transfer of ownership is not dependent upon the validity of the underlying transaction. In other words, a valid transfer cures the invalidity of the prior documentation, unless tainted with fraud. Secondly, the doctrine of notice holds that, if a second acquirer of the right to take transfer of property, takes transfer of property before the person who acquired that right first, and without knowledge of the prior right, then his title becomes unassailable.
Gifprops [2014] ZAGPJHC 183

Damages for the breach of a constitutional right to care

A father was improperly arrested by the SAPS. In the cells he was beaten up and subsequently died. The mothers (yes, plural) of his two children sued for "constitutional damages" arising from an infringement of their children's constitutional right to parental care (only a lawyer would have thought this one out). Does the obligation to protect the father mean that the SAPS was under a legal duty to his children to secure their rights?
Minister of police vs Mboweni SCA case 657/13

Claims against the fidelity fund

QUOTABLES

WEIRD & WONDERFUL

The gullibility of people never cease to astound me - possibly this was meant when it was said that the poor of mind?) will always be with us. The Rev Joshua (he of the collapsed Nigerian guest-house for the faithful) is clearly not poor: "Jesus was rich and had an accountant who followed him around." The fall of his under-foundationed guesthouse in which he housed the faithful (for a modest fee no doubt) has been attributed to a plane circling the building four times. Much of a preacher he cannot be if Old Testament history is lost on him: Joshua required seven circuits of Jericho to bring it down. Perhaps this is just progress?
Just in Durban there are in excess of 70 Christian churches led by Nigerian pastors. And we only know of Nigerian e-scams...

During our recent sojourn to civilisation (clearly, I refer to the Western Cape) we visited Genadendal. This is said to be the oldest missionary station in Southern Africa. Whilst the central buildings are beautifully preserved as a monument

LIGHTEN UP

Economics teacher: Class, can you give me an example of a complete business failure owing to professional negligence?
Little Johnny: A pregnant prostitute