The applicant purchased immovable property, Stand 3950 Haydon Township measuring 1,509 square meters, from the second respondent through an agreement of sale and cession of rights signed on 6 November 2020. After paying the full purchase price, the applicant was given vacant possession. However, on 22-23 November 2020, the first respondent (who claimed to be in a relationship with the second respondent) moved onto the stand and commenced construction activities, including erecting a wooden cabin, sinking a borehole, and digging foundations. The first respondent claimed entitlement to the property based on an alleged tacit partnership with the second respondent. The applicant sought an interdict, obtaining a provisional order by consent on 31 December 2020. The matter came before court on 25 January 2022 for confirmation of the provisional order. The first and second respondents failed to appear despite proper service. A procedural error occurred when the result slip (meant for internal recording) was mistakenly typed and issued as the court's order instead of the signed draft order, causing confusion when it was leaked to social media.
The court ordered: (1) The order issued on 25 January 2022 was rescinded and substituted; (2) The provisional order was confirmed as a final order; (3) The applicant was declared the rightful owner of Stand 3950 Haydon Township measuring 1,509 square meters; (4) The first respondent, her assignees and employees were interdicted from carrying out construction activities, gaining access, erecting structures, and ordered to remove her cabin and construction materials from the property; (5) The counter-application filed by the first respondent was struck off as improperly before court; (6) The first respondent was ordered to pay costs on a legal practitioner and client scale.
A court has power under Rule 29 of the 2021 High Court Rules to correct, rescind or vary a judgment on its own initiative where there is a patent error - defined as an error or omission where the judgment or order does not reflect the intention of the judicial officer pronouncing it and is attributable to the court itself. Where a result slip (meant for internal administrative purposes) is mistakenly issued as the court's order instead of the actual signed draft order, this constitutes a patent error that may be corrected by rescinding the erroneous order and substituting it with the correct order. A purchaser who has paid the full purchase price and received vacant possession of property is entitled to protection against unlawful occupation and construction activities by third parties claiming rights through alleged tacit partnerships with the seller.
The court made observations about deficiencies in judicial administrative procedures, noting that judges on the opposed roll are not given the opportunity to revisit, edit and proofread their work before it enters the public domain. The court suggested that if files on the opposed roll (where the judge has direct control and management) were returned to the judge for correction, such errors could be prevented. The court expressed concern that the result slip, which was meant to record and capture details of proceedings for future reference, was mistakenly treated as the court's formal order. The court noted the problematic nature of the order being leaked to social media before the error could be corrected through normal channels.
This case demonstrates the court's inherent power under Rule 29 of the 2021 High Court Rules to correct patent errors in judgments on its own initiative, particularly where administrative processes result in the wrong document being issued as a court order. It highlights procedural safeguards in default judgment cases and reinforces the protection of property rights acquired through valid sale agreements. The case also illustrates judicial transparency in acknowledging and correcting administrative errors, even when those errors have entered the public domain. It provides guidance on what constitutes a patent error attributable to the court itself.