Actio ad exibendum: Deliksaksie sui generis of actio legis Aquiliae?
| Jurisdiction | South Africa |
| Date | 29 May 2019 |
| Pages | 215-223 |
| Citation | 2000 Acta Juridica 215 |
| Author | J Neethling |
| Published date | 29 May 2019 |
Actio ad exibendum: Deliksaksie sui generis of actio legis
Aquiliae?
2000 Acta Juridica 215
J Neethling *
Universiteit van Suid-Afrika
Die vereistes vir en toepassingsgebied van die actio ad exhibendum is in twee
onlangse — in vele opsigte direk teenoorstaande — beslissings onder die
vergrootglas gepl aas: Gore v Saficon Industrial (Pty) Ltd 1 en Fran kel Pollak
Vinderene Inc v St anton. 2 Die uitsprake is dit eens dat die actio ad exhibendum in
sy moderne gedaante 3 'n deliktuele skadevergoedingsaksie is. 4 Wat wel ernstige
verskille ontl ok, is die vraag na die vereistes vir die aksie en, in die lig hiervan, of
die aksie as eiesoortige remedie selfstandige bestaansreg het dan wel of dit
goedskiks geheel en al, of dan as 'n spesiale verskyningsvorm van die Aquiliese
aksie, in die actio legis Aquiliae opgeneem kan word.
Die actio ad exibendum is tot beskikking van die eienaar van 'n saak teen die
mala fide besitt er wat di e saak vervreem, verbruik of skuldiglik vernietig het, asook
teen enige ander besitter wat die saak aldus bedrieglikerwys hanteer na dat hy van
die eienaar se titel of aanspraak bewus geword het. 5 In Frankel Pollak Vinderene
Inc v Stanton 6 stel regter Wunsh dit so:
'As it is available today, it is a remedy by which the plaintiff can recover damages for
the wrongful disposal, consumption or destruction by the defendant of his or her res
when the defendant had knowledge of the
* BA LLB (UOVS) LLM (McGill) LLD (Unisa), Dekaan en Professor in Privaatreg, Universiteit van Suid-
Afrika.
2000 Acta Juridica 216
plaintiff's title or claim. Knowledge, used in a neutral sense at this stage of the
discussion, is the vital ingredient 7 . . . . Without it, the plaintiff would have no remedy
. . . . The mere acquisition of the property does not gi ve rise to the actio ad
exhibendum because, if the acquisitor retained possession, the remedy against him or
her would be the rei vindicatio. It is if the property is intentionally disposed of or
consumed by the defendant (and possibly if it is destroyed, damaged or lost as a result
of his or her negligence) that the defendant is liable. If the property is destroyed or
damaged without fault on the defendant's part, there is no liability.'
Hieruit blyk dat dit van kardinale belang is om die inhoud of betekenis van bedoel de
kennisvereiste — as die 'vital ingredient' van die actio ad exhibendum — te bepaal .
Uiteenlopende beskouings word hieroor in die regspraak aangetref:
3 Sien oor die gemeenregtelike oorsprong en funksies van die aksie N J van der Merwe en P J J Olivier Die
Onregmatige Daad in die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg (1989) 231-2; M D Blecher 'The owner's actions against
persons who fraudulently ceased to possess his res (qui dolo desierunt possidere)' (1978) 95 SALJ 341
ev; C G van der Merwe Sakereg (1989) 353-4; D G Kleyn en A Boraine Siberberg and Schoeman's The
Law of Property (1992) 278.
4 Sien Gore v Saficon Industrial (Pty) Ltd (n 1) 550; Frankel Pollak Vinderene Inc v Stanton (n 2) 442,
446; sien ook Philip Robinson Motors (Pty) Ltd v NM Dada (Pty) Ltd 1975 (2) SA 420 (A) 428; Marobane
v Bateman 1918 AD 460 op 466; Van der Merwe (n 3) 355; Kleyn en Boraine (n 3) 278; Van der Merwe
en Olivier (n 3) 233; J G Sonnekus en J L Neels Sakereg Vonnisbundel (1994) 475; D Carey Miller The
Acquisition and Protection of Ownership (1986) 287.
5 Sien Van der Merwe (n 3) 353-4; Van der Merwe en Olivier (n 3) 232-3; J C van der Walt en R Midgley
Delict — Principles and Cases (1997) 22; sien ook bv Marobane v Bateman (n 4) 465; Aspeling v Joubert
(Pty) Ltd v SAR & H 1958 (3) SA 285 (A) 289; Philip Robinson Motors (Pty) Ltd v N M Dada (Pty) Ltd (n
4); Alderson and Flitten (Tzaneen) (Pty) Ltd v EG Duffys Spares (Pty) Ltd 1975 (3) SA 41 (T) 45-7.
6 Noot 2 op 429-30.
7 Carey Miller (n 4) 289 beskou bedoelde kennis as 'the essential basis of liability'.
2000 Acta Juridica 215
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