F v Minister of Safety and Security and Others

• Jurisdiction: South Africa
• Citation: 2012 (1) SA 536 (CC)

F v Minister of Safety and Security and Others
2012 (1) SA 536 (CC)

2012 (1) SA p536

Citation	2012 (1) SA 536 (CC)
Case No	CCT 30/11; [2011] ZACC 37
Court	Constitutional Court
Judge	Moseneke DCJ, Cameron J, Froneman J, Jafta J, Khampepe J, Mogoeng J, Nkabinde J, Skweyiya J, Van Der Westhuizen J and Yacoob J
Heard	August 4, 2011
Judgment	December 15, 2011
Counsel	LM Olivier SC for the applicant.; RT Williams SC (with JA van der Schyff) for the first respondent.; No appearance for the second respondent.; H Barnes (with S Wilson) for the first amicus (the Institute for Security Studies).; M Chaskalson SC (with D Smit) for the second amicus (the Institute for Accountability in Southern Africa Trust).; K Pillay for the third amicus (the Trustees of the Women's Legal Centre).

Flynote : Sleutelwoorde G

H State — Liability for acts of police — Liability for criminal acts committed by police officer — Duty of State to protect its citizens and corresponding need for public trust in police service suggesting normative basis for such liability — Sufficiently close link between misconduct and perpetrator's employment I as police officer to be established — Officer on standby duty committing rape, facilitated by use of police vehicle — Sufficient link established — Minister vicariously liable.

Delict — Specific forms — Vicarious liability — Liability of employer for delictual acts of employee — Liability of State for criminal acts committed by police J officer on standby duty — Rape of 13-year-old girl who was stranded and

2012 (1) SA p537

whom officer had offered lift home in police vehicle — Use of police vehicle A establishing sufficient link between rape and perpetrator's employment as police officer.

Headnote : Kopnota

The State's obligation to protect citizens and the corresponding trust that the public is entitled to place in the police service suggest a normative basis for holding the State delictually liable for the criminal acts of police officers, B provided that a sufficiently close link is established between the misconduct and the perpetrator's employment as police officer. State liability must ultimately depend on the cumulative weight of the factors pointing to the required connection, and not on omission/commission or on-duty/off-duty distinctions. The State would accordingly be vicariously liable where an C off-duty police officer had raped a young girl whom he had offered a lift in a police vehicle, the use of which had been instrumental in the commission of the rape and which was pivotal in providing the required connection between the crime and his employment. (Paragraphs [2] – [3], [50] – [57], [61] – [68] and [71] – [81] at 540B/C – D/E, 550B – 552B, 552G – 554D and 555B – 557B.)

Cases Considered

Annotations: D

Reported cases

Southern Africa

Absa Bank Ltd v Bond Equipment (Pretoria) (Pty) Ltd 2001 (1) SA 372 (SCA): referred to E

Administrateur, Natal v Trust Bank van Afrika Bpk 1979 (3) SA 824 (A): referred to

African Guarantee & Indemnity Co Ltd v Minister of Justice 1959 (2) SA 437 (A): referred to

Bank of Lisbon and South Africa Ltd v The Master and Others 1987 (1) SA 276 (A): referred to F

Barkhuizen v Napier 2007 (5) SA 323 (CC) (2007 (7) BCLR 691): referred to

Bayer South Africa (Pty) Ltd v Frost 1991 (4) SA 559 (A): referred to

Bezuidenhout NO v Eskom 2003 (3) SA 83 (SCA) ([2003] 1 All SA 411): referred to G

Binda v Colonial Government (1887) 5 SC 284: referred to

British South Africa Co v Crickmore 1921 AD 107: referred to

Brooks v Minister of Safety and Security 2009 (2) SA 94 (SCA): referred to

Carmichele v Minister of Safety and Security and Another (Centre for Applied Legal Studies Intervening) 2001 (4) SA 938 (CC) (2002 (1) SACR 79; 2001 (10) BCLR 995): applied

Commissioner, South African Revenue Service and Another v TFN Diamond Cutting Works (Pty) Ltd 2005 (5) SA 113 (SCA): referred to H

Ess Kay Electronics Pte Ltd and Another v First National Bank of Southern Africa Ltd 2001 (1) SA 1214 (SCA): referred to

Estate Van der Byl v Swanepoel 1927 AD 141: referred to

F v Minister of Safety and Security and Another 2010 (1) SA 606 (WCC): approved I

Faircape Property Developers (Pty) Ltd v Premier, Western Cape 2000 (2) SA 54 (C): referred to

Fedsure Life Assurance Ltd and Others v Greater Johannesburg Transitional Metropolitan Council and Others 1999 (1) SA 374 (CC) (1998 (12) BCLR 1458): referred to

Feldman (Pty) Ltd v Mall 1945 AD 733: applied J

2012 (1) SA p538

Fourway Haulage SA (Pty) Ltd v SA National Roads Agency Ltd 2009 (2) SA 150 (SCA): referred to A

Freddy Hirsch Group (Pty) Ltd v Chickenland (Pty) Ltd 2011 (4) SA 276 (SCA): referred to

Gouda Boerdery BK v Transnet 2005 (5) SA 490 (SCA) ([2004] 4 All SA 500): referred to

Govender v Minister of Safety and Security 2001 (4) SA 273 (SCA) (2001 (2) SACR 197; 2001 (11) BCLR 1197): referred to B

Hirsch Appliance Specialists v Shield Security Natal (Pty) Ltd 1992 (3) SA 643 (D): referred to

Hirschowitz Flionis v Bartlett and Another 2006 (3) SA 575 (SCA) ([2006] 3 All SA 95): referred to

Indac Electronics (Pty) Ltd v Volkskas Bank Ltd 1992 (1) SA 783 (A): referred to C

Jordaan v Bloemfontein Transitional Local Authority and Another 2004 (3) SA 371 (SCA) ([2004] 1 All SA 496): referred to

K v Minister of Safety and Security 2005 (6) SA 419 (CC) (2005 (9) BCLR 835; [2005] 8 BLLR 749): discussed and applied

Knop v Johannesburg City Council 1995 (2) SA 1 (A): referred to D

McIntosh v Premier, Kwazulu-Natal and Another 2008 (6) SA 1 (SCA) ([2008] 4 All SA 72): referred to

Mhlongo and Another NO v Minister of Police 1978 (2) SA 551 (A): referred to

Minister of Finance and Others v Gore NO 2007 (1) SA 111 (SCA) ([2007] 1 All SA 309): referred to E

Minister of Law and Order v Ngobo 1992 (4) SA 822 (A): applied

Minister of Police v Rabie 1986 (1) SA 117 (A): applied

Minister of Safety and Security v Carmichele 2004 (3) SA 305 (SCA) (2004 (2) BCLR 133; [2003] 4 All SA 565): referred to

Minister of Safety and Security v F 2011 (3) SA 487 (SCA): reversed on appeal F

Minister of Safety and Security v Hamilton 2004 (2) SA 216 (SCA) ([2003] 4 All SA 117): referred to

Minister of Safety and Security v Jordaan t/a Andre Jordaan Transport 2000 (4) SA 21 (SCA): referred to

Minister of Safety and Security v Luiters 2007 (2) SA 106 (CC) (2007 (3) BCLR 287): referred to G

Minister of Safety and Security v Van Duivenboden 2002 (6) SA 431 (SCA) ([2002] 3 All SA 741): referred to

Minister van Polisie v Ewels 1975 (3) SA 590 (A): referred to

Minister van Polisie en 'n Ander v Gamble en 'n Ander 1979 (4) SA 759 (A): referred to

Minister van Veiligheid en Sekuriteit v Phoebus Apollo Aviation BK 2002 (5) SA 475 (SCA): referred to H

Mkize v Martens 1914 AD 382: referred to

Mukheiber v Raath and Another 1999 (3) SA 1065 (SCA) ([1999] 3 All SA 490): referred to

MV MSC Spain: Mediterranean Shipping Co (Pty) Ltd v Tebe Trading (Pty) Ltd 2008 (6) SA 595 (SCA) ([2007] 2 All SA 489): referred to I

Olitzki Property Holdings v State Tender Board and Another 2001 (3) SA 1247 (SCA) (2001 (8) BCLR 779): referred to

Rail Commuters Action Group and Others v Transnet Ltd t/a Metrorail and Others 2005 (2) SA 359 (CC) (2005 (4) BCLR 301): referred to

Robinson v Randfontein Estates GM Co Ltd 1925 AD 173: referred to

S v Baloyi (Minister of Justice and Another Intervening) 2000 (2) SA 425 (CC) (2000 (1) SACR 81; 2000 (1) BCLR 86): referred to J

2012 (1) SA p539

S v Basson 2005 (1) SA 171 (CC) (2004 (1) SACR 285; 2004 (6) BCLR 620): referred to A

Sea Harvest Corporation (Pty) Ltd and Another v Duncan Dock Cold Storage (Pty) Ltd and Another 2000 (1) SA 827 (SCA) ([2000] 1 All SA 128): referred to

Shill v Milner 1937 AD 101: referred to

Steenkamp NO v Provincial Tender Board, Eastern Cape 2006 (3) SA 151 (SCA): referred to B

Steenkamp NO v Provincial Tender Board, Eastern Cape 2007 (3) SA 121 (CC) (2007 (3) BCLR 300): referred to

Stewart and Another v Botha and Another 2008 (6) SA 310 (SCA): referred to

Telematrix (Pty) Ltd t/a Matrix Vehicle Tracking v Advertising Standards Authority SA 2006 (1) SA 461 (SCA) ([2006] 1 All SA 6): referred to C

Trustees, Two Oceans Aquarium Trust v Kantey & Templer (Pty) Ltd 2006 (3) SA 138 (SCA) ([2007] 1 All SA 240): referred to

Tshabalala v Lekoa City Council 1992 (3) SA 21 (A): referred to

Union Government (Minister of Justice) v Thorne 1930 AD 47: referred to

Van Eeden v Minister of Safety and Security (Women's Legal Centre Trust, as Amicus Curiae) 2003 (1) SA 389 (SCA) ([2002] 4 All SA 346): referred to D

Venter v Bophuthatswana Transport Holdings (Edms) Bpk 1997 (3) SA 374 (SCA): referred to.

Canada

Bazley v Curry (1999) 174 DLR (4th) 45 (SCC) ([1999] 2 SCR 534): E referred to

Jacobi v Griffiths (1999) 174 DLR (4th) 71 (SCC) ([1999] 2 SCR 570): referred to.

England F

Lister v Hesley Hall Ltd [2002] 1 AC 215 (HL) ([2001] 2 All ER 769): referred to.

United States

Primeaux v United States 181 F 3d 876 (8th Cir 1999): referred to. G

Case Information

Application for leave to appeal and appeal from the Supreme Court of Appeal against the judgment in Minister of Safety and Security v F 2011 (3) SA 487 (SCA).

LM Olivier SC for the applicant.

RT Williams SC (with JA van der Schyff) for the first respondent. H

No appearance for the second respondent.

H Barnes (with S Wilson) for the first amicus (the Institute for Security Studies).

M Chaskalson SC (with D Smit) for the second amicus (the Institute for Accountability in Southern Africa Trust).

K Pillay for the third amicus (the Trustees of the Women's Legal Centre). I

Cur adv vult.

Postea (December 15). J

2012 (1) SA p540

Judgment

Mogoeng J (Moseneke DCJ, Cameron J, Khampepe J, Nkabinde J, Skweyiya J and Van der...