Acts Online
GT Shield

Administration of Estates Act, 1965 (Act No. 66 of 1965)

Chapter II: Deceased Estates

7. Death notices

 

1) Whenever any person dies within the Republic leaving any property or any document being or purporting to be a will therein—
a) the surviving spouse of such person or more than one surviving spouse jointly, or if there is no surviving spouse, his or her nearest relative or connection residing in the district in which the death has taken place, shall within fourteen days thereafter give a notice of death substantially in the prescribed form, or cause such a notice to be given to the Master; and

[Section 7(1)(a) substituted by section 8 of Act No. 11 of 2009]

b) the person who at or immediately after the death has the control of the premises at which the death occurs shall, unless a notice under paragraph (a) has to his knowledge already been given, within fourteen days after the death, report the death or cause the death to be reported to the Master.

 

2) Whenever any person dies outside the Republic leaving any property or any document being or purporting to be a will therein, any person within the Republic having possession or control of any such property or document, shall, within fourteen days after the death has come to his knowledge, report the death to the Master who shall take such steps as may be necessary and practicable to obtain a correct death notice.

 

3) The Master may by written notice require any person who may, in his opinion, be able to furnish the information required—
a) if no death notice has been given or obtained, to submit to him within a period specified in the notice, a death notice substantially in the prescribed form; and
b) if a death notice has been given or obtained or has been submitted under paragraph (a) and the Master desires any further information, to answer in writing to the best of his knowledge, within a period so specified, such questions as may be set forth in the notice.

 

4) If the person signing any death notice was not present at the death, or did not identify the deceased after death, such person shall furnish the Master with proof of the death.