A recent High Court ruling tackled the important question of whether or not a Certificate of Balance issued by a creditor provides definitive proof of the debt owed. The case involved a couple who contested the accuracy of a bank’s R2.1m claim against them. At stake? Two of their properties which were bonded to the bank.

The couple’s court victory highlights both the importance of lenders producing accurate documentation, and the right of borrowers to request clear details before agreeing to settle any claims made against them.

AI language models are rapidly transforming the way we live, with ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Copilot, Gemini 2.0 and many others increasingly competing for our attention. As AI becomes more integrated into daily life, many of us are turning to it for advice and help on everything from how to prune roses or deliver a wedding speech to completing complex coding tasks and solving theoretical physics equations.  

But should we use it for advice on legal matters? We decided to explore the pros and cons of that by asking ChatGPT itself. Its answer really is straight from the horse’s mouth!

Many of us worry about how to protect ourselves and our families from criminals. But what weapons can we possess and carry in public? When and how are we allowed to use them in self-defence? And what licences or permits do we need?

We discuss all these questions in relation to the four most popular choices of self-defence weapon. We then explore the practical effect of our self-defence laws in the context of a tragic case which saw a plain clothes policeman shot dead by a Cape Town law enforcement officer – who pleaded self-defence when charged with murder. 

The National Minimum Wage (NMW) for each “ordinary hour worked” has been increased from 1 March 2025 by 4.4% from R27,58 per hour to R28,79 per hour. 

Domestic workers: Assuming a work month of 22 days x 8 hours per day, R28,79 per hour equates to R230,32 per day or R5067,04 per month. Of course, this is just a bare legal minimum: the Living Wage calculator will help you check whether you are actually paying your domestic worker enough to cover a household’s “minimal need” (adjust the “Assumptions” in the calculator to ensure that the figures used are up-to-date).

“Mortgage”, “Mortgage Bond” and “Home Loan”: What’s the Difference?

Derived from French “mort” and “gage” (literally “dead pledge” because it “dies” when settled), a mortgage secures a creditor’s claim and enables it to sell the bonded property if the debtor defaults in repaying the debt. 

In the context of a home loan, strictly speaking, “mortgage” refers to the mortgage bond agreement and to the bond registered over the property. The home loan agreement is separate – it sets out the details of the loan and the terms of repayment and it could be for a different amount. We tend to use the terms “mortgage”, “mortgage bond”, and “home loan” interchangeably – but it can be important to understand the distinction in a particular legal context. If in any doubt, ask us!