Legally speaking
Joost's last wish explained on OFM
A prolonged legal battle over who will inherit the asset of the late Springbok legend Joost van der Westhuizen has finally come to an end. Ferdinand Hartzenberg and Van der Westhuizen’s brother, Pieter, approached the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to have a will Joost drew up in 2015 declared his last wish. The Master…
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How to write my will?
When you start thinking about a will, it is important to know that South Africa’s legislation has a number of requirements for a will to be valid. The requirements are not complicated, but must all be in place to make sure your will cannot be contested. Using an attorney to draft your will is not…
Read MoreFerdi speaks to OFM about the marijuana ruling
Ferdi Hartzenberg spoke to OFM about the marijuana Constitutional Court ruling, explaining how the original case started at Hartzenberg Inc. Met die Grondwetlike hof se beslissing dat die privaat gebruik van dagga nie ‘n kriminele oortreding is nie, het Prokureur Ferdinand Hartzenberg vir ons meer rondom die uitspraak verduidelik Content hosted by iono.fm First published…
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Why should I have a will?
Benjamin Franklin once said there were only two things certain in life: death and taxes. Preparing for taxes is a generally accepted practice, but preparing for death is usually avoided. This is because discussing mortality is never easy, but preparing for it is an absolute necessity. We often get asked why a will? The simple…
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Schools ignore the law when enforcing payment of school fees
“The school sold my lounge suite, microwave and fridge… it’s now threatening to sell my house too”. The household items of the parent who phoned the Equal Education Law Centre earlier this year had just been confiscated by debt collectors seeking to settle a R25,000 outstanding payment for school fees. When her child was admitted…
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Helping someone to die: what the law currently says
In 2015, Robert James Stransham-Ford applied to court for an order to allow a medical practitioner to administer a lethal agent and end his life. As part of this order, Stransham-Ford wanted the practitioner to be immune from any civil or criminal liability for this action. At the time, Stransham-Ford had terminal stage four cancer…
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Know your rights: when can you be evicted and how?
Every year, hundreds of families are forced out of their homes by government departments, municipalities, private individuals or corporations. Evictions are a common occurrence in South African cities, informal settlements and townships. What does the law say about evictions? To answer this question we will need to start with the Constitution, which shapes and gives…
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