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Land Reform (Labour Tenants) Act, 1996 (Act No. 3 of 1996)

Chapter II : Right to Occupy and Use Land

Eviction of labour tenants and other persons

15A. Offences

 

 

(1) No person shall remove or evict a labour tenant or an associate except on the authority of an order of a competent court.

 

(2) No person shall wilfully obstruct or interfere with an official in the employ of the State or a mediator in the performance of his or her duties under this Act.

 

(3) Any person who contravenes a provision of subsection (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine, or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years, or to both a fine and such imprisonment.

 

(4) Any person whose rights or interests have been prejudiced by a contravention of subsection (1) shall have the right to institute a private prosecution of the alleged offender.

 

(5) The provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 (Act No. 51 of 1977), shall apply to a private prosecution in terms of this Act: Provided that if—
(a) the person prosecuting privately does so through a person entitled to practise as an advocate or an attorney in the Republic;
(b) the person prosecuting privately has given written notice to the prosecutor with jurisdiction that he or she intends to do so; and
(c) the prosecutor has not, within 14 days of receipt of such notice, stated in writing that he or she intends to prosecute the alleged offence,

then—

(i) the person prosecuting privately shall not be required to produce a certificate issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions with jurisdiction in respect of the area of the court concerned, stating that he or she has refused to prosecute the accused;
(ii) the person prosecuting privately shall not be required to provide security for such action;
(iii) the accused shall be entitled to an order for costs against the person prosecuting privately, if—
(aa) the (charge against the accused is dismissed or the accused is acquitted or a decision in favour of the accused is given on appeal; and
(bb) the court finds that such prosecution was unfounded or vexatious; and
(iv) the Director of Public Prosecutions contemplated in paragraph (i) shall be barred from prosecuting except with the leave of the court concerned.

 

[Section 15A inserted by section 4 of Act No. 51 of 2001]