Testeervryheid in die huidige konstitusionele bedeling

Abstract

Die vraag wat deur hierdie skripsie beantwoord word is of testeervryheid beperk kan word deur konstitusionele regte en indien wel, tot watter mate. Om hierdie vraag te beantwoord moet vasgestel word watter formele vereistes gestel word vir die verlyding van ‘n testament en watter regte presies deur die individu gehou word ingevolge testeervryheid. Voorwaardes vir bemakings aan begunstigdes word bespreek om vas te stel welke voorwaardes geldig aan deur die testateur aan bemakings gekoppel kan word. ‘n Verdere bespreking volg rakende die beperkings geplaas op testeervryheid. Verskeie statutêre beperkings word op testeervryheid geplaas deur die Wet op Beheer van Trustgoed, Wet op Pensioenfondse, Wet op Opheffing of Wysiging van Beperkinge op Onroerende Goed, die Insolvensiewet, Wet op Onderhoud van Langslewende Gades en die Wet op Onderverdeling van Landbougrond. Meer van belang vir hierdie skrywe is die omvang van fundamentele regte naamlik gelykheid, menswaardigheid, politieke regte, beweging, assosiasie en eiendom en die beperking wat die inbreukmaking op hierdie regte op die vrye uitoefening van testeurvryheid het. Om die vraag te beantwoord tot watter mate testeervryheid deur die konstitusie beperk kan word, word die toepassing daarvan deur die howe bespreek. In Minister of Education v Syfrets Trust Ltd bevind die hof dat die fundamentele reg op gelykheid in sekere gevalle van groter belang is as testeervryheid. InUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal v Makgoba and Others het die hof bevind dat ‘n testamentêre trust wat fondse aan die Universiteit van Kwazulu- Natal beskikbaar stel vir ‘arm meisies’ van ‘Europese, Britse of Duitse’ afkoms, op grond van openbare belang en diskriminasie op grond van ras, kleur, geslag en demografiese faktore gewysig kon word. Laastens, in BoE Trust Limited NO & Others het die hof beslis in die guns van die handhawing van die testament, in teenstelling met alle vorige regspraak Daar word tydens hierdie bespreking tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat testeervryheid wel deur konstitusionele regte beperk word tot die punt waar die bepalings ongeldig verklaar word of gewysig word. The question to be answered in this dissertation is if freedom of testation can be limited by constitutional rights and, if so, to what extent. To answer this question one has to establish what formal requirements are set for the drafting of a will and what rights a person has under freedom of testation. Conditions added to bequests to beneficiaries are also discussed to established which conditions may lawfully be set by the testator. Thereafter the statutory limits imposed by several acts like the Trust Property Control Act, the Pension Funds Act, Immovable Property (Removal of Modification of Restrictions) Act; the Insolvency Act; the Maintenance of Surviving Spouses Act and the Subdivision of Agricultural Land Act. Of more importance for purposes of this paper is a clear understanding of the extent of fundamental rights like the rights to equality, dignity, political rights, movement, association and property and what amount of limitation the infringement of these rights would put on freedom of testation. To answer this question one would have to look at the application of these rights by the court. In Minister of Education v Syfrets Trust Ltd the court found that the right to equality was of greater value than the right to freedom of testation and had to be protected. In University of KwaZulu-Natal v Makgoba and Others the court found that a testamentary trust making provision for study bursaries to ‘poor girls’ from ‘European, British or German’ descent could be modified on the grounds of public policy and discrimination. Lastly, in BoE Trust Limited NO & Others the court however found the favour of the testator, unlike all previous case law.