South African Firm of Attorneys – Shepstone & Wylie

Why is Lipstick so Expensive

Date: 23 Aug 2010

As women get older, we appreciate the pearls of wisdom dispensed to us by our mothers. Phrases like

KWAZULU – NATAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT APPEAL TRIBUNAL

Date: 19 Aug 2010

The varied approach to planning and development in KwaZulu-Natal

COOLING – OFF PERIOD IN TERMS OF THE ALIENATION OF LAND ACT AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT

Date: 17 Aug 2010

The Alienation of Land Act No. 68 of 1981, amongst other things, stipulates the essential terms

Swearing and cursing at the workplace: Is this a dismissible offence?

Date: 04 Aug 2010

When abusive language is leveled at a superior on the shopfloor,

Are Tax Incentives for Regional Holding Companies in SA in the pipeline?

Date: 15 Jul 2010

A regional holding company (RHC) may be established for a number of reasons, most notably for econom

TOO FAT TO WORK? SHOULD OBESE EMPLOYEES HAVE SPECIAL RIGHTS?

Date: 05 Jul 2010

It was recently reported in the media that in the case of PSA obo October v Department of Community

Automatic Deletion of certain Restrictive Conditions in the KZN Planning and Development Act, is making life easier…………..

Date: 02 Jul 2010

Buyers and sellers in KwaZulu-Natal now have relief from the frustration of dealing with restrictive

The effect of a reinstatement order on a retirement fund

Date: 26 May 2010

The primary remedy for an employee who is found to have been unfairly dismissed is (deleted for the

The Golden Egg

Date: 26 May 2010

Employees, in the true sense of the word are undoubtedly the class of taxpayers pulling on the short

VAT On Accommodation Supplied During The World Cup

Date: 20 May 2010

With kick off to the World Cup just around the corner, many entrepreneurshave renovated their holida

Must employers take into account theretirement fund's disability assessment?

Date: 10 May 2010

An arbitratorin the South African Local Government Bargaining Council recently made aninteresting de

Beware Your CC Might be in Deregistration

Date: 07 May 2010

With effect from 1 September 2008, it has becomecompulsory for every close corporation ("CC") to lod

Are there holes in the three-year safety net for competition complaints?

Date: 07 May 2010

Earlier this year the Competition Tribunal in The Competition Commission v Pioneer Foods (Pty) Ltd s

Unhappy with the Municipal Property Rates Act

Date: 16 Apr 2010

Now is the time to speak up on proposed changes to the Municipal Property Rates Act ("the MPRA"). T

Acquisition check

Date: 08 Apr 2010

In the day-to-day dealings of the commercial property world, it is hard to imagine how multi million

Do directors mortgaging company property need shareholder approval?

Date: 18 Mar 2010

Do boards of directors mortgaging property belonging to the company have to obtain shareholder appro

Can an employee get more than he bargained for on a disciplinary appeal?

Date: 09 Mar 2010

Employees disgruntled by the outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be wary of unnecessarily takin

Big deal property transactions need Competition Commission approval

Date: 25 Feb 2010

In the day-to-day dealings of the commercial property world it is easy to forget that multi-million

Tender Blues

Date: 23 Feb 2010

South Africa has a complex set of laws dealing with procurement by tender and the protection of one’

Will the new Customs Control Act dig into your pocket?

Date: 18 Feb 2010

Whenever draft legislation is presented to us,

Landmark judgment gives clarity on NCA debt review process

Date: 15 Feb 2010

Volumes of consumer debt review applications will be viewed differently even rejected this year, fol

Outstanding Tax Affairs Could Delay Your Property Transfer

Date: 11 Feb 2010

Buyers of property best ensure that their tax affairs are in order or they could face serious transf

Change in definition brings relief to companies, CCs and trusts

Date: 28 Jan 2010

Many a consultant, freelancer or labour broker has been frustrated by the definition of their servic

Think twice before deregistering for VAT

Date: 26 Jan 2010

Many small business VAT vendors whooped with delight when the threshold at which an entity becomes o

Conduct and liability of directors in terms of the new Companies Act

Date: 22 Jan 2010

The new Companies Act 71 of 2008 is scheduled to come into operation by July this year, and although

Corporate governance: King III has arrived

Date: 14 Jan 2010

On March 1 2010 the revised King Code of Governance for South Africa, 2009 - the King III report or

Non-paying father successfully sued for school fees

Date: 08 Jan 2010

As the new school year begins the issue of paying school fees and who pays them will once again beco

The future for Close Corporations

Date: 06 Jan 2010

The new Companies Act, which is expected to come into operation during the year, will have a profoun

New Proposals: Sectional Title Disputes

Date: 18 Dec 2009

Many owners and occupants of residential sectional titles complexes have been frustrated by the lack

New Legislation for Sectional Title Management

Date: 17 Dec 2009

Seeking to make sectional title management more understandable for the public, and moving the juris

Court extends protection for outsourced employees

Date: 16 Dec 2009

It is imperative that companies currently tendering for contracts, particularly those that provide s

Property Sale Agreements being altered

Date: 25 Nov 2009

Once a property sales agreement has been signed, it is not necessarily cast in stone and can, in fac

What parties should scrutinise in a lease

Date: 20 Nov 2009

Lengthy lease agreements filled with legal jargon can be daunting, especially for the hundreds of ne

Customs point of valuation changes cost importers more

Date: 09 Nov 2009

Importers of containerised cargo will find themselves paying more customs duties and VAT following a

Retirement reform no longer open for debate

Date: 04 Nov 2009

The debate around a reformed social security and retirement system in South Africa that has raged fo

Home Owners Association: buyers should know their responsibilities

Date: 02 Nov 2009

Estate living is one of the most popular but for good reason buyers should fully understand their re

Labour disputes should stay out of the High Court – ConCourt

Date: 30 Oct 2009

Labour court or High court – which of these should an aggrieved dismissed employees' of the State ap

Shack dwellers Constitutional Court win raises concern about its legal basis

Date: 22 Oct 2009

The recent majority judgment of the Constitutional Court declaring the section 16 of the KwaZulu-Nat

Pollution past, present or future companies are liable – new legislation

Date: 20 Oct 2009

Individuals and companies are now liable for environmental contamination past, present or future in

Pollution past, present or future companies are liable – new legislation

Date: 05 Oct 2009

With very little fanfare the National Environment Laws Amendment Act No. 14 of 2009 (NELAA), a new p

Tax, property and non-residents - part 3

Date: 29 Sep 2009

Make sure you establish whether a person is a resident of South Africa when buying property, as this

Donations Tax and property - part 2

Date: 26 Sep 2009

Donations tax is an area of some confusion when it come to buying property, comments Sifiso Msomi in

Tax and property - part 1

Date: 15 Sep 2009

Tax is an unavoidable part of buying a property and either transfer duty or VAT is payable on every

Environmental laws: be prepared or pay the price

Date: 04 Sep 2009

Government continues to roll out new legislation that elevates and broadens the reach of environment

Eating evidence a good reason for dismissal

Date: 04 Sep 2009

The relationship between employer and domestic worker is a close and personal one. Actions that dest

Business given BEE verification window

Date: 31 Aug 2009

breathing space by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to get their BEE certification in orde

Vital steps when buying a property...

Date: 28 Aug 2009

Buying a property is the biggest single investment many people will ever make so it’s essential that

More than a rap on the knuckles for erring pension funds

Date: 28 Aug 2009

Enforcement and public humiliation are the instruments being applied to ensure that pension funds ar

Proposed important changes to the Sectional Titles Act welcomed

Date: 28 Aug 2009

Fairly substantial and important proposed amendments to the Sectional Titles Act are contained in a

Transfer and Bond Costs

Date: 20 Aug 2009

Conveyancing attorneys play a vital role in the registration of every property transfer or bond, but

New cargo transport convention could impact SA importers

Date: 18 Aug 2009

A new international convention that governs cargo liability during sea and inland inter-modal transp

Purchasing a Repossessed Property

Date: 05 Aug 2009

Now is the time to scoop a bargain as Banks are calling for sales in execution where property owners

Neighbourly rights....

Date: 24 Jul 2009

Knowing your neighbourly rights is important if the building next door infringes onto your property.

Warning: Managers keep on your toes – big brother is watching

Date: 24 Jul 2009

One might be forgiven for concluding that the days of surprises for management are over. Nothing mor

To be or not to be - a director

Date: 22 Jul 2009

There may be a public perception that there is significant status involved in being appointed a dire

Eat only fallen fruit……

Date: 21 Jul 2009

Most people are confident about approaching a neighbour whose building encroaches onto their propert

Customs moves to cut costly delays

Date: 16 Jul 2009

Within the next two months shippers and forwarders should see significant changes in Customs process

Environmental conservation and maintenance can be tax effective

Date: 14 Jul 2009

Government earlier this year promised to assist business and industry that took up the environmental

Domain name disputes are costly and can be avoided

Date: 10 Jul 2009

The rapid growth of the Internet has created rich pickings for the unscrupulous who take advantage o

Labour Court takes a dim view of the rich who queue hop

Date: 06 Jul 2009

The Labour Court, clogged with urgent applications from well-to-do employees, has put its foot down

Employees must be heard in matters of transfer

Date: 02 Jul 2009

Often situations in business arise where, for various reasons, an employee is required to transfer f

Exercise your option to purchase before it's too late!

Date: 01 Jul 2009

Tenants who have an option to purchase their premises should take heed of a Supreme Court of Appeal

An employer must offer a hearing prior to suspension

Date: 30 Jun 2009

Newspaper articles involving government employees being suspended for extended periods of time, or e

Poor communities take South Africa’s sanitation crisis to the courts

Date: 26 Jun 2009

As the country’s sanitation and clean water crisis escalates poor communities are taking their prote

Racial discrimination cannot be inferred it must be proven

Date: 25 Jun 2009

While the inconsistent application of disciplinary action by employers often renders employees’ dism

A good paper trail is vital if you do not have a proper loan contract

Date: 22 Jun 2009

In the first four months of 2009 the number of businesses liquidated has soared by 45, 3% compared t

Sleeping or praying on duty?

Date: 15 Jun 2009

An employee found sleeping on duty should not be surprised if he is treated harshly and possibly dis

Defamatory statements can be protected by law

Date: 12 Jun 2009

It is hardly profound to say that employees are conscious of their dignity and sensitive to any stat

Sexual harassment – employer’s have a weighty obligation

Date: 08 Jun 2009

Employers are obliged to deal with sexual harassment complaints promptly and properly or face liabil

Restraints of trade: judges’ views differ

Date: 05 Jun 2009

Restraints of trade - are they constitutional and enforceable – are often hotly debated. No wonder!

Death benefits distribution – the new challenges facing trustees

Date: 02 Jun 2009

A more appropriate and sound way of ensuring that lump sum benefits owed to the minor children of a

Taxing changes to royalty deductions on intellectual property

Date: 22 May 2009

Companies claiming income tax deductions on royalties paid for the use of intellectual property will

What if a member’s pension fund kitty is insufficient to pay a court order and tax?

Date: 19 May 2009

Legislation has the potential to get the taxman, divorcees and pension funds into a tangle, but in t

Can a transfer of immovable property be valid even if the underlying sale agreement is not?

Date: 16 May 2009

South Africa's courts have found that the transfer of immovable property may be valid

Things that wash up from the sea- is it a case of finders keepers?

Date: 06 May 2009

The concept of finding treasure on the beach, washed up from the sea, is a time aged one, and it doe

Private vs. Agent

Date: 01 May 2009

Savings in commission are an incentive to sell a home privately but the decision of whether or not t

Green tax incentives to ease Waste Act’s big stick pain

Date: 24 Apr 2009

Any day now the National Environmental Management: Waste Act will become law. It brings to life stri

Supreme Court ruling a warning for shopkeepers

Date: 23 Apr 2009

When one is hurrying through a supermarket collecting goods for dinner one does not expect to slip o

How far must an employer bend for a failing employee?

Date: 15 Apr 2009

South Africa’s labour laws have been criticised as being too time consuming especially when it comes

Escalating strike action in 2009 as unions get tough

Date: 09 Apr 2009

This week’s national strike by truck drivers is just the beginning of what is expected to be a tough

New laws take aim at pension fund fraud

Date: 08 Apr 2009

In an attempt to clamp down on pension fund fraud that has cost members billions of rands in lost be

Amended EIA regulations: will the retrofit work?

Date: 06 Apr 2009

Amendments to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations, expected to be implemented late

Shippers turn to SA as economic turbulence escalates

Date: 01 Apr 2009

The world-wide shipping industry turmoil with losses of hundreds of million of US Dollars and compan

Know your copyrights and protect your work

Date: 24 Mar 2009

For those working in the creative world the concern of having ones work copied without gaining any b

Voetstoots clause – Municipal building approval

Date: 19 Mar 2009

Beware the Voetstoots clause when buying a property and make sure you inspect the property for defec

Separate Rating of Sectional Title Units

Date: 13 Mar 2009

July 1 is d-day for all sectional title units throughout the country to be independently rated by th

Business language must be plain and simple

Date: 10 Mar 2009

The Consumer Protection Bill, soon to be signed into law, is said to provide South Africans with the

New incentive scheme brings investment to KZN

Date: 06 Mar 2009

The Department of Trade and Industry’s Manufacturing Investment Programme grant (MIP) aimed at encou

International employment: which court has authority when things go wrong?

Date: 05 Mar 2009

How often has one heard of people packing their bags for foreign shores secure in the knowledge that

Mortgage bonds: Early termination interest

Date: 27 Feb 2009

Most homeowners would like to settle their bonds as soon as possible but do not consider the issue o

Understanding how attorneys manage your property deposits

Date: 23 Feb 2009

With banks tightening up on lending, many more purchasers are paying for their properties with cash,

Stamp duty on leases to be abolished from 1 April 2009

Date: 18 Feb 2009

Certain players in the property industry, particularly landlords and tenants

Corporate interest free loans under attack

Date: 16 Feb 2009

South African Revenue Services (SARS) is on the interest free loan offensive, and corporate business

Immovable property and the budget

Date: 11 Feb 2009

After welcoming the recent announcement of a 100 base points cut in the repo rate (with further prop

Practical guidelines for planning and managing construction projects

Date: 04 Feb 2009

Lack of experience and inadequate planning is a constant threat to construction despite ongoing capi

Cooling off" threshold to be increased in immovable property transactions?

Date: 30 Dec 2008

Many more purchasers of immovable properties are likely to be able to enjoy the considerable benefit