Isigwebo sikaDisemba ka-2025 seNkundla ePhakamileyo yase Ntshona Koloni saye saqinisaiindlela ezimbini ezibalulekileyo zokukhusela abathengi: abathengi akufuneki bachithe i-ombud okanye iinkqubo ze-ombud okanye ze-commission ngaphambi kokuba baye enkundleni phantsi koMthetho woKhuseleko lwaba thengi Consumer Protection Act (CPA), kwaye abathengisi abanakuzifihla emva kwamagatya e-voetstoots okanye iziqinisekiso ezilinganiselweyo (limited warranties) xa uthengisa izithuthi ezineziphene.
Ibambela Jaji uPhillipa van Zyl usichithile isibheno se Pure Silk Invest 2 (Pty) Ltd, erhweba njenge Qela lokuqala 1 Nissan Kuils River, kwaye yawuxhasa umyalelo kamantyi wokuba umthengisi abuyisele i-R175 000 kuJacques Alex Martin ngokuchasene nokubuyiswa kweNissan Navara enesiphene. 2.5 dCi SE 4×4.
Isigwebo sicacisa icandelo (69 of the CPA and strengthens consumers’) okufuna isiqabu senkundla ngokuthe ngqo apho iimpahla zisilela ukuhlangabezana nemigangatho esemthethweni.
UDonald Dinnie, umlawuli eNorton Rose Fulbright, uthi umyalezo osebenzayo ulula.
“Ukuba imveliso (ebandakanya isithuthi esisetyenzisiweyo) ibonisa iziphene eziphindaphindiweyo ngokukhawuleza emva kokusithenga, umthengi akafuneki ngokuzenzekelayo ukuba aqhube kwiiforamu ezininzi zangaphandle ngaphambi kokuba asondele enkundleni. Kwaye ukuba umthengisi ufuna ukuthembela kumda onjenge ‘limited warranty’, iwaranti kufuneka ibhengezwe ngokucacileyo kwaye ichazwe ngokufanelekileyo, ngakumbi apho iya kunciphisa ukhuseleko olusemthethweni.”
Ukukhetha kunokuba sisinyanzelo
INkundla iphinde yaqinisekisa ukuba icandelo lama-69 le-CPA ( section 69 of the CPA) alinyanzeli abathengi kuluhlu olungqongqo lwamayeza phambi kokuba bamangale.
Umthengisi waxoxa ukuba umthengi kufuneka aqale alandele ezinye iindlela zokusombulula iingxabano – ezifana ne-ombud okanye iKomishoni yaBathengi yeSizwe ombud or the National Consumer Commission (NCC) – phambi kokuba aye enkundleni. INkundla ePhakamileyo yakukhaba oku.
Ijaji yathi icandelo 69 (section 69) liqulunqwe ngolwimi oluvumelayo. Isebenzisa igama elithi “may,” ebonisa ukhetho endaweni yesibophelelo. Akukho kukhutshelwa ngaphandle okucacileyo kolawulo lweNkundla ePhakamileyo kwi-CPA (High Court’s jurisdiction in the CPA), kwaye kukho intelekelelo eqinileyo echasene nokutolika umthetho njengokukhupha ulawulo lwenkundla ngaphandle kokuba oko kuchazwe ngokucacileyo.
Ukubhekisa kwiNkundla ePhakamileyo yeziBheno (Supreme Court of Appeal’s) ukuqiqa kwE Motus Corporation (Pty) Ltd and Another v Wentzel (2021), iNkundla ePhakamileyo yagxininisa ukuba icandelo 69(d) akufuneki lifundwe kancinci njengelingabandakanyi ilungelo lomthengi lokufikelela enkundleni. Lo Mthetho uyilelwe ukukhusela abathengi nokuqinisekisa ukufikeleleka, ukungafihli, kunye nolungiso olusebenzayo.
INkundla ePhakamileyo igqibe kwelokuba iNkundla kaMantyi ichanekile ekuchitheni isicelo esikhethekileyo somthengisi-sokungabi nagunya.
ISICWANGCISO SOSHISHINO ESIXHASWA NGEMALI YOMHLALAPHANTSI SIYE SAPHAMBUKA
UMartin wasebenzisa imali yakhe yomhlalaphantsi ukuthenga iNissan Navara esele isetyenzisiwe kumthengisi nge-R175 000. Wayezimisele ukuqalisa ishishini elincinci lokulungisa umhlaba emva kokuthatha umhlala-phantsi kwaye wayefuna isithuthi esisebenzayo se-4×4.
Uthathe iimoto ngomhla we 23 ku-Tshazimpuzi (Agasti) ka-2016. Ngosuku olulandelayo, izibane ezilumkisayo ezinxulumene ne-ABS kunye neenkqubo ze-4×4 zavela. Kwiiveki nje ezimbalwa:
- Iikhowudi zeempazamo zifunyenwe. (Fault codes were detected)
- Kwazanywa ukulungiswa. (Fault codes were detected)
- Imoto yonakala yaza yema ngxi. (The vehicle broke down and came to a standstill)
- Kwalandela ukulungiswa okungakumbi. (Further repairs followed)
- Kwavela umba wokuphelelwa ngamandla. (An exhaust issue emerged)
- Kufunyenwe ukuvuza kwamanzi. (A fluid leak was discovered)
- Ukuhlolwa kweDekra kuphakamise iinkxalabo ezongezelelweyo. (A Dekra inspection raised additional concerns)
Phezu kwazo nje iinzame zokulungisa eziphindaphindiweyo, iingxaki zaqhubeka. Exhalabele ukhuseleko nokuthembeka, uMartin wasibuyisela eso sithuthi waza wafuna ukubuyiselwa imali. Umthengisi wala ukumbuyisela.
Wamisela isenzo kweye Nkanga (Novemba) 2016, exhomekeke kwi-CPA common law remedy of the actio redhibitoria (cancellation and refund for defective goods) (ukucinywa kunye nokubuyiselwa kwempahla ephosakeleyo).
Umantyi uyalele ukuba kubuyiswe imali ekubuyiselweni kwesithuthi. Umthengisi wabhena.
Imiba yomthetho: icandelo 69, iziqinisekiso, kunye ne-voetstoots
Isibheno saphakamisa imibuzo emibini engundoqo:
- Ingaba inkundla yayinegunya, okanye ngaba umthengi kufuneka aqale aye kwi-ombud okanye kwi-NCC phantsi kwecandelo 69 le-CPA?
- Ingaba isithuthi sihlangabezane nemigangatho ye-CPA’, kwaye ingaba umthengisi uxhomekeke kwiwaranti elinganiselweyo okanye “njengoko kuthengiswa injalo”?
INkundla ePhakamileyo ifumanise ukuba icandelo le-69 libonelela ngezinye iiforam, hayi ulandelelwano olusisinyanzelo. Ngokungafaniyo nomthetho ofana noMthetho wokuPhakanyiswa koBulungisa boLawulo, (Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, the CPA ) ayifuni kuqondwa kuncedo lwangaphakathi phambi kokumangalelana.
Ukutolika icandelo -69 njengokuthintela ukufikelela ngokuthe ngqo enkundleni kuya kujongela phantsi icandelo le -34 (section 69 barring direct court access would undermine section 34 of the Constitution) loMgaqo-siseko kunye nenjongo yokukhusela abathengi yeCPA.
UKHUSELEKO LWE-CPA LUGQITHISA IZIQINISEKISO ‘EZINGACACANGA’
Ngokufanelekileyo, iNkundla yafumanisa ukuba ityala “lilula” kwaye yathi ayizange ihambe kakuhle kumthengisi.
Umthengisi waxoxa ukuba umthengi wayesazi ukuba uthenga isithuthi esisetyenzisiweyo kwaye uvumile kwiwaranti elinganiselweyo yomatshini ye-1 000km okanye inyanga enye.
Nangona kunjalo, ubungqina bubonisa:
- Umda awuzange uchazwe ngokufanelekileyo.
- Ingqwalasela yomthengi ayizange itsaleleke kuko nakuphi na ukurhoxiswa kwamalungelo eCPA.
- Akukho zibhengezo ezinxulumene ne-CPA ezenziweyo.
- Isithuthi kufuneka, ngokomgaqo-nkqubo wangaphakathi womthengisi, siye kurhwebo kunokuba sithengiselwe uluntu.
- Abasebenzi babengenalo uqeqesho kwizibophelelo zeCPA.
Inkundla yagqiba kwelokuba ubudala bomnatha kunye nomgama ohanjiweyo (mileage) zinxulumene nokunxiba nokonakala okuqhelekileyo, hayi neziphene. Isithuthi esisetyenzisiweyo kufuneka sibe kumgangatho ophezulu, sisebenza kakuhle, singenazo iziphene, kwaye sikwazi ukusetyenziswa size sihlale ixesha elifanelekileyo.
Phantsi kwecandelo lama-56 le-CPA, kukho iwaranti echaziweyo yeenyanga ezintandathu yomgangatho. Ukuba iimpahla ziyasilela ngelo xesha, umthengi unokufuna ukulungiswa, ukutshintshwa, okanye ukubuyiselwa imali. Ukuba iziphene ziphinda zivele emva kokulungiswa kwiinyanga ezintathu, umthengisi kufuneka atshintshe okanye abuyisele imali.
INkundla ePhakamileyo yafumanisa ukuba iimfuno ezichazwe yi-SCA e-Wentzel zahlangatyezwa:
- Ukulungiswa kwazanywa kwisithuba seenyanga ezintandathu.
- Iingxaki zaphinda zavela.
- Iziphene zaxelwa.
- Iziphene zaziyinto ebonakalayo, echaphazela ukusebenza, ukhuseleko, kunye nokusebenziseka.
Ekugqibeleni isithuthi sathathwa njengesingakhuselekanga ukuqhutywa. Uthotho lwemiba lujongele phantsi kakhulu ukufaneleka kwayo ngenjongo ethengwe ngayo.
INkundla iphinde yagxininisa ukuba amagatya ‘e-voetstoots’ ngokubanzi akanakoyisa i-CPA. ICandelo le -51 (Section 51) liyayithintela imiqathango yokurhoxisa okanye ukuhlutha abathengi amalungelo phantsi koMthetho, kwaye icandelo le-48 (Section 48) liyayithintela imiqathango engafanelekanga okanye engekho ngqiqweni.
Umxhobisi akanakuxhomekeka kwinkcazelo engaqinisekanga ethi “njengoko injalo” ukuze aphephe uxanduva lweziphene ezingazange zityhilwe.
Funda isigwebo esipheleleyo apha.
Eli nqaku liguqulelwe kwisiXhosa ngu Ongeziwe Babane.
Cofa apha , ufunde inqaku lesiNgesi elibhalwe yi Moonstone.
