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Back row (L to R): Donald Mokgehle (Captain), Shaun Coetzee, Tsepho Mohapi, Ruan Botha, Rigardt Barnard, Ralf Schulz, Rabie Smal and Andries Pete (Coach)
Front row (L to R): David Jiyane, Khulani Mabuza, Joseph Motaung, Kego Mnguni, Paul Motaung

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Elize Krause, Ralf Schulz, Bridget Masilo and Lizelle Preuyt represented VDT Inc. during this Open Day.

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Tydens die onlangse 10de jaarlikse VDT/Beeld-Kinderfonds Korporatiewe Gholfdag by die Pretoria Buiteklub is ‘n bedrag van R160 000,00 ingesamel wat beteken dat VDT oor die typerk van 10 jaar nou reeds meer as R1 000 000,00 vir die Beeld-Kinderfonds ingesamel het.  Hierdie fondse is aangewend om aan die basiese behoeftes en die terapeutiese versorging van baie minderbevoorregte kinders te voorsien.

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The following persons appear, from left to right, on the photo taken during the handing over of the cheque of R160 000,00:
Charl Mocke (CMV Accountants), Adri van Staden (Beeld Children’s Fund), Kevin Kitchenbrand (Universal Office Automative Solutions),
Abie Maphala (ABSA), Johan Liebenberg (VDT), Arnold Prinsloo (Eskort), Piet Joubert (Aida) and Steinman de Bruyn (VDT)

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Mediation, in general, is a voluntary process in which parties to a dispute utilize the services of an independent third party or ‘mediator’ to facilitate the discussions between the parties with a view to settling their disputes amicably. Where minor children are involved, our courts may in future even enforce mediation as a precursor to court action. Importantly, a mediator does not adjudicate on the disputes between the parties or makes decisions on behalf of the parties, but facilitates the discussion process to try and allow the parties to agree on workable solutions.

The success of any mediation, including divorce mediation, is dependent on the willingness of both parties to engage in discussions in order to find solutions. The parties themselves control the outcome of the divorce mediation process with the mediator merely assisting the achievement of consensus which is to the advantage of both spouses and children, where applicable.

Divorce mediation is usually conducted in multiple sessions (often between four to six sessions) of one to two hours each lead by a divorce mediator. One of the most positive aspects of the divorce mediation process is the flexibility with which it can be conducted. The mediator can adapt the divorce mediation process in accordance with the needs of the parties and the nature of the disputes between the parties. It must be noted that divorce mediation is not intended to function as therapeutic or marriage counselling sessions and will generally only be relevant where the parties have reconciled themselves to the fact that they do indeed want to divorce. 

When divorce mediation?

Our courts have ruled that in appropriate cases attorneys have an obligation to advise their clients to attempt to mediate their disputes before resorting to litigation. In general however, the use and applicability of divorce mediation remains dependant on the facts of each case and a number of factors must be considered, including the financial implications thereof and the needs of the parties affected by the divorce, before a decision to use divorce mediation is made. 

While divorce mediation proceedings may be less expensive than contested litigation proceedings, an uncontested divorce (ie where. the parties are in full agreement as to the consequences of the divorce) is usually still less expensive than mediation proceedings. Mediation proceedings will in all likelihood be a faster and a less stressful experience than contested litigation proceedings, and where children are involved, the use of mediation proceedings may also be to the advantage of children, as their future is decided by their own parents and not by the judicial system. Where a number of unresolved disputes exist between the parties, it would also be advisable to consider divorce mediation before the institution of divorce litigation proceedings. 

Advantages and shortcomings of divorce mediation

As with every process, divorce mediation has advantages and disadvantages. 

The advantages of divorce mediation can be summarized as follows:

1. It is less expensive than contested litigation proceedings.
2. It can be faster than contested litigation proceedings.
3. It helps the parties to arrive at an agreement that is mutually acceptable to them.
4. It can help reduce tension, anger and misunderstanding and improve communication between the parties.
5. It can be more sensitive to the needs of children in that the parties are provided the opportunity to co-operate and agree with regards to the care and upbringing of the children.
6. It focuses on the future rather than the past by allowing the parties to reach a compromise which is considered just and fair.

A downside to divorce mediation may reside with the choice of mediator. The mediator may be a skilled councillor but not necessarily possess legal knowledge. This in turn could impact on the quality of settlement agreement to be concluded between the parties, even requiring additional legal costs to have the agreement legally reviewed.

Mediation may also not be appropriate in instances where for example a history of family violence exists between the parties or the possibility of an amicable resolution of the issues is not possible given the personalities of or history between the parties.

Conclusion

Mediation can help parties to resolve their differences regarding important aspects such as parental rights, future maintenance responsibilities and division of assets before engaging in formal litigation. It can also help shorten divorce proceedings, which in turn helps shortens the stressful process of divorce for the parties and enables them to put the past behind and move on with their lives. In the event that divorce proceedings are unavoidable, discuss the possibility of divorce mediation with your councillor or divorce attorney and consider whether this form of dispute resolution could not perhaps be appropriate to your situation.

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Email marketing remains one of the cheapest and most effective methods of mass marketing and communication with your client database. Yet each person has a right to privacy and this right has frequently been violated in the past by callous marketers that send advertising and promotional emails to consumers without permission. This form of unsolicited direct marketing has now been restricted by the new Consumer Protection Act (“the Act”) which establishes clear rules in respect of digital marketing. This does not result in email marketing being outlawed per se, but rather that this form of communication must comply with the requirements for lawful communication in order to not be seen as unsolicited.

In terms of the Act the sending of unsolicited email is unlawful and marketers must comply with the following minimum requirements if they wish to utilize email marketing for marketing and promotions:

• All subscribers to the database of a business must have chosen to form part of the database and receive information or communication from the business. This is known as the “Opt-in” principle.
• A business must be able to prove that a subscriber was provided the choice of whether to form part of the database and by consenting thereto to receive email marketing communication from the business.
• In terms of the Act, any transaction that arose as a result of an email marking campaign is subject to a five day cooling off period which affords the consumer the right to cancel the transaction within five days of the conclusion of the transaction. Where the consumer exercises this right and there are no goods involved, the supplier must within fifteen days refund all amounts already paid to the supplier by the consumer. Where there are goods involved in the transaction, the supplier must within fifteen days of the return of the relevant goods, refund the consumer all amounts already paid to the supplier. It should be noted that certain electronic transactions possibly reside under the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act which provides for a seven day cooling off period. Legal advice may be necessary to assist in determining which act is applicable to your communication.
• The consumer must at all times be able to deregister as a subscriber from any database. This is known as the “Opt-out” principle.
• The Act further determines that direct marketing to ‘n consumer may only occur from Monday to Friday between 08h00 and 20h00 and on Saturdays between 09h00 and 13h00. No email marketing may occur on Sundays and Public Holidays unless the consumer has expressly consented thereto.

Note should be taken of the provisions of the Act regarding the establishment of a “no contact” register where consumers can register in order to pre-emptively block the receipt of unsolicited marketing. This register is not yet active, but it will be important for marketers to keep track of this register when it does become active.

In light of the above the following good practice guidelines are useful to assist businesses in ensuring that they comply with the Act.

• Send an email to your database and provide the opportunity to “Opt-in” and ”Opt-out” and explain what each option entails.
• Ensure that in all communication the option to “Opt-out” is clearly visible and functioning.
• If the consumer “Opts-out” the consumer must automatically be removed from all the direct marketing communication channels of the business.
• Keep a register of consumers that have “Opted-out” and ensure that no further email marketing is sent to such consumers.
• Inform the consumer of the nature and frequency of communication that they can expect from your business.
• As soon as the formal “no contact” register is active, ensure that your database is regularly compared with the register.
• Inform consumers of their right to utilise the cooling off period under the Act.
• Only send email marketing during the allowed timeframes.

By applying the above good practices you can achieve good results with your direct marketing strategy and prevent negative consequences arising due to transgressions of the Act. At the end of the day the professionalism and validity of your email marketing campaigns reflects directly on the way you do business.

For advice and assistance with the formulation of a valid email marketing strategy, consult a consumer law and information technology expert.

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Epos bemarking bly een van die goedkoopste asook mees effektiewe maniere van massa bemarking en kommunikasie met jou kliënt databasis. Tog het elke persoon ook ‘n reg op privaatheid, en is hierdie reg in die verlede aangetas deur bemarkers wat sonder toestemming eposse oor promosies en advertering aan verbuikers gestuur het. Hierdie vorm van ongewenste direkte bemarking is nou aan bande gelê deur die nuwe Verbruikersbeskermingswet (“die Wet”) wat duidelike reëls in verband met digitale bemarking daar te stel. Dit beteken nie dat epos bemarking per se onwettig is of verbied word nie, maar eerder dat hierdie vorm van kommunikasie aan die vereistes vir wettige kommunikasie moet voldoen ten einde te verhoed dat dit as ongevraagd gesien word.

Ingevolge die Wet is die versending van ongevraagde e-posse onwettig en moet bemarkers aan van die volgende minimum vereistes voldoen sou hulle e-posse wil gebruik vir bemarking en promosies:

• Alle intekenaars op ‘n besigheid se databasis moes gekies het om deel te vorm van so ‘n databasis en om inligting vanaf die besigheid te ontvang. Hierdie beginsel staan bekend as die “Opt-in” beginsel.
• Besighede moet kan bewys dat intekenaars die keuse gehad het om deel te vorm van die databasis en daardeur toestem tot die ontvang van e-pos bemarkingsboodskappe.
• Ingevolge die Wet is ‘n transaksie wat plaasgevind het weens die versending van ‘n e-pos bemarkingsveldtog onderhewig aan ‘n vyf dae afkoelperiode wat beteken dat die verbruiker die reg het om die bepaalde transaksie binne vyf dae na die sluiting van die transaksie te kanselleer. Indien ‘n verbruiker hierdie afkoelreg uitoefen en daar geen goedere betrokke is nie moet die verskaffer binne vyftien besigheidsdae alle bedrae reeds deur die verbruiker betaal aan die verbruiker terugbetaal. Indien daar wel goedere betrokke is moet die verskaffer binne vyftien besigheidsdae, na die teruggawe van die betrokke goedere, die betrokke bedrag aan die verbruiker terugbetaal. Dit moet gelet word dat sekere elektroniese transaksies moontlik onder die Wet op Elektroniese Kommunikasies en Transaksies mag resorteer waar ‘n sewe dae afkoelperiode van toepassing is. Regsadvies mag nodig wees om seker te maak welke wet van toepassing is op u kommunikasie.
• Die verbruiker moet te alle tye by magte wees om as intekenaar van ‘n bepaalde databasis te kan deregistreer. Hierdie staan bekend as die “Opt-out” beginsel.
• Die Wet bepaal verder dat direkte bemarking aan ‘n verbruiker slegs mag plaasvind van Maandae tot Vrydae tussen 08h00 en 20h00 en op Saterdae tussen 09h00 en 13h00. Geen e-pos bemarking mag geskied op Sondae en Publieke Vakansiedae nie, tensy die verbruiker pertinent daartoe toegestem het.

Kennis kan ook geneem word van die Wet se bepalings rondom die oprigting van ‘n “geen kontak” register waar verbruikers kan registreer ten einde voortydig die ontvangs van ongevraagde bemarking te verhoed. Hierdie register is nog nie aktief nie, maar sal dit noodsaaklik wees vir bemarkers om ook hiermee tred te hou wanneer die register in werking gestel word.

In lig van die bogemelde kan die volgende goeie praktyke besighede behulpsaam wees ten einde voldoening aan die Wet te verseker:

• Stuur ‘n epos aan jou databasis en gee die geleentheid om te “Opt-in” en “Opt-out” en verduidelik wat elke opsie beteken.
• Maak seker dat op alle kommunikasie die opsie om te “Opt-out” duidelik sigbaar en in werkende toestand is
• As die verbruiker “Opt-out” moet die verbuiker outomaties van al die besigheid se direkte bemarking kommunikasiekanale verwyder word
• Hou ‘n register van verbruikers wat “Opt-out” het en maak seker dat daar nie weer epos bemarking aan die verbruiker gestuur word nie
• Stel die verbruiker in kennis van die aard en frekwensie van kommunikasie wat hulle van jou besigheid kan verwag
• Sodra die formele “geen kontak” register opgestel is sal jou databasis gereeld vergelyk moet word met die register
• Stel verbruikers in kennis van hul reg om die afkoelperiode onder die Wet te gebruik
• Stuur epos bemarking slegs uit gedurende die toegelate tydraamwerke.

Deur die bogenoemde goeie praktyke te volg kan jy goeie resultate bekom met jou direkte epos bemarkingstrategie en verhoed dat daar negatiewe gevolge onstaan weens oortreding van die Wet. Op die einde van die dag spreuk die professionaliteit en geldigheid van jou epos bemarkingproses ook boekdele oor die manier waarop jou besigheid funksioneer.

Vir advies en hulp met die formulering van ‘n geldige epos bemarkingstrategie, raadpleeg ‘n kundige op die gebied van verbruikersbeskerming en inligtingstegnologie.

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Aanwysers toon dat die mikro-leen bedryf die afgelope paar jaar aansienlik gegroei het. Aan die anderkant toon aanwysers ook dat die aantal verbruikers wat slegte kredietrekords het en die aantal verbruikers wat hulself onder skuldberading plaas ook aansienlik gegroei het. Ten spyte hiervan maak formele en informele kredietooreenkomste steeds ʼn groot deel uit van die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie. Hierdie ooreenkomste wissel van eenvoudige lenings vir klein bedrae tussen privaat individue, tot insidentele kredietooreenkomste voortspruitend uit transaksies tussen ʼn besigheid en sy kliënte waar dienste of goedere op krediet gelewer word, tot ingewikkelde leningsooreenkomste verskaf deur banke. Met so ‘n magdom kredietooreenkomste wat daagliks gesluit word is dit baie belangrik dat die kredietverskaffer kwaliteit inligting rakende sy skuldenaars verkry indien dit nodig sou word om die skuld in te vorder waar ‘n skuldenaar op ʼn latere stadium versuim om aan die bepalings van die kredietooreenkoms te voldoen.

Dit is verstaanbaar dat krediteure sukses met die verhaal van uitstaande skuld meet aan die hand van gelde gevorder teenoor gelde betaal aan prokureurs en skuldinvorderingsagente. Wat egter dikwels nie besef word nie is dat die sukses van die skuldinvordering afhang van die kwaliteit van die inligting waroor die krediteur ten opsigte van elk van sy skuldenaars besit.

Die inligting beskikbaar ten opsigte van ‘n skuldenaar het ʼn groot invloed op die omdraaitye vir die invordering van die skuld. Hoe minder inligting aangaande die skuldenaar beskikbaar is hoe meer tydrowend word dit vir die invorderingsagent of prokureur om die inligting bymekaar te maak, die skuldenaar op te spoor en die skuld in te vorder. Sedert die inwerkingtreding van die Nasionale Kredietwet en die onlangse Verbruikersbeskermingswet moet daar aan sekere vereistes voldoen word alvorens daar begin kan word met formele skuldinvordering. Indien maatreëls wat aan hierdie vereistes voldoen, nie in plek is nie, kan dit die skuldinvorderingsproses verder vertraag.

Die doel is om soveel inligting as moontlik rakende die skuldenaar te verkry ten einde te bepaal waarop wettig beslag gelê kan word om uitstaande skuld te delg. Dit is ook belangrik om soveel moontlike inligting te bekom om te bepaal of die skuldenaar die skuld kan bekostig (d.w.s. die netto waarde of inkomste van die skuldenaar) ten einde betaling te verseker.

Die volgende kan beskou word as noodsaaklike inligting vir die skuldinvorderingsproses:

• Volle name van die skuldenaar en die skuldenaar se identiteitsnommer waar ‘n natuurlike persoon, of die volle name en identitetsnommers van die maatskappy se direkteure sowel as die maatskappy se registrasienommer waar die skuldenaar ʼn maatskappy of ʼn ander tipe regspersoon is.
• Alle kontakbesonderhede van die skuldenaar, waarby ingesluit is die selfoonnommer, huisnommer en werknommer, posadres en baie belangrik, die fisiese adres.
• Die werk- of besigheidsadres van die skuldenaar, en indien moontlik, ‘n versoek aan die skuldenaar om ʼn adres te kies en te verskaf waarheen jy kennisgewings ten opsigte van die transaksie gestuur kan word, asook ‘n versoek vir kontakbesonderhede van twee familielede of vriende van die skuldenaar.
• Die skuldeiser moet verder ook inligting tot sy bevrediging bekom dat die skuldenaar instaat sal wees om die skuld te betaal. Die ondersoek moet die feite vasstel wat verband hou met die skuldenaar se kredietrekord, dit kan ook baie maklik verkry word met behulp van internet programme wat gekoppel is aan die verskeie kredietburos; die inkomste van die skuldenaar en wanneer dit betaalbaar is; die skuldenaar se roerende en onroerende bates en inligting rakende die skuldenaar se skuldenaars (d.w.s. mense wat die skuldenaar geld skuld).
• Dit sal ʼn skuldeiser baat om te verseker dat die skuldenaar, as deel van die kredietaansoek, ʼn erkenning van skuld onderteken om die invordering van skuld te bespoedig. So ʼn dokument kan die struikelblokke help verminder wat die krediteur moet oorkom om die skuld wettig in te vorder.

Die bogenoemde inligting is goeie raad wat ‘n kredietverskaffer kan gebruik om sy risikos wat verband hou met kredietooreenkomste te beheer en te beperk. Hoe groter die transaksie, hoe groter is die risiko en hoe groter is die belang vir die krediteur om die bogenoemde stappe te volg ten einde homself te beskerm teen ʼn skuldenaar wat nie betaal nie.

Dit word aanbeveel dat eienaars van besighede wat gereeld kredietooreenkomste sluit, ʼn regspraktisyn raadpleeg om te verseker dat standaard dokumente wat deur hulle kliënte en verbruikers voltooi word, die bogenoemde inligting vereis en deur die skuldenaar onderteken word om sodoende te help met enige invordering van skuld wat op ʼn latere stadium vereis mag word.

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Indicators show that the micro-lending industry has been growing quite substantially over the past few years. On the flip side, indicators also show that the number of consumers with impaired credit records is also growing sharply, as also the number of consumers placing themselves under debt counselling. Despite this, both formal and informal credit agreements still form a large part of the South African business economy ranging from simple loan transactions for small amounts of money lent and advanced between two private individuals, to incidental credit agreements arising from transactions where services or goods are sold on credit between a business and its clients, to complex loans agreements provided by banks. With such a multitude of credit agreements being entered into on a daily basis, it is quite important that the credit provider obtains quality information on the debtor in case it becomes necessary to recover the debt after the debtor fails to comply with the terms of the agreement at a later stage.

Understandably creditors measure success in recovery of arrear debts in terms of money collected versus money spent on attorneys and debt collection agents in the collection process. However, what is often overlooked is that the success of the collection or debt recovery process depends on the quality of the information on the debtor gathered and kept by the creditor.

The information on the debtor has a huge impact on the turnaround times for the collection process, because the less information the creditor keeps on the debtor, the more time consuming it becomes for the collecting agent or attorney to gather information and trace the debtor to recover payment. More importantly, with the advent of the National Credit Act and, more recently the Consumer Protection Act, certain requirements must be met before the formal collection processes can commence, which further prolongs the recovery of the debt if measures that comply with legislative requirements are not put in place.

The goal is to obtain as much details of the debtor as is possible in order to locate and determine what can legally be attached to pay for the outstanding debt. It is also important to gather as much information as is possible to determine the debtor’s affordability of the debt (i.e. the net worth or income of the debtor) in order to satisfy payment.

The following may be regarded as essential information for the collection process:

• Complete names of the debtor and identity number where the debtor is a natural person, or the full names of the company directors and their identity numbers as well as the registration number of the company where the debtor is a company or another form of business entity.
• All contact details of the debtor being the mobile phone number, telephone numbers at home and at work, postal address and more importantly the physical home address.
• Work or business address, and where possible, further requests to the debtor to choose or appoint an address where you can send him notices related to the transaction, and also requests for contact details of two relatives or friends of the debtor.
• The creditor should further obtain information to its satisfaction that the debtor will be able to pay the debt. The enquiry should ascertain facts pertaining to the credit record of the debtor, which can easily be obtained from internet-based programmes linked with the various credit bureaus; the income of the debtor and when it is due; the debtor’s assets in the form of movable and immovable assets and the debtor’s debtors (i.e. people owing the debtor money).
• A creditor would serve itself well to ensure that the debtor signs a properly drafted acknowledgement of debt form as part of its credit application process in order to expedite the collection process. Such a document assists in reducing the number of hoops the creditor has to jump through in order to recover the debt in terms of the law.

The above information is a tool at the disposal of the creditor to manage or reduce the risks associated with credit agreements. Naturally, the bigger the transaction, the bigger the risks and the more the need arises for the creditor to put the abovementioned checks in place to protect itself from a defaulting debtor.

Owners of businesses that regularly enter into credit agreements should consult a legal practitioner to ensure that they have standard documents for clients or customers to complete that, where possible, requires the above information and is signed by the debtor, thereby greatly assisting with any formal collection process that may need to be instituted at a later stage.

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