Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T07:00:14.198Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Compensation of victims of motor vehicle accidents in Botswana: an appraisal of the MVA Fund Act scheme

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

Charles Manga Fombad
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

In Botswana, which has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, motor vehicle accidents have become a serious economic and social problem. The waste of human and material resources caused by the resulting deaths, bodily injuries and damage to property has for long been a matter of concern t o the government. This is particularly so because not only are financial resources diverted away from more productive purposes, but members of the public live in fear of being killed, maimed or suffering property damage with no certainty of compensation. Even motor vehicle owners are also adversely affected by the damage to their vehicles and the financially crippling risk of having to pay enormous amounts as damages.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of African Law , Volume 43 , Issue 2 , Autumn 1999 , pp. 151 - 183
Copyright
Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 On Botswana's economy, see generally, Barclays Bank of Botswana Ltd., Barclays Business Guide to Botswana 1997/1998. Gaborone, , Barclays Bank of Botswana Ltd. (1997) and The Economist Intelligence Unit, Country Profile: Botswana and Lesotho 1997–1998. London, 1997.Google Scholar

2 Hereinafter referred to as the Act.

3 Hereinafter referred to as the Fund.

4 Study by the UNCTAD Secretariat, Problems of Motor Insurance in Developing Countries, Doc. TD/B/C.3/176 at 2.

5 National Road Safety Commitee, Traffic Safety Report 1996, Gaborone, Printing and Publishing Co. (1997). Unless otherwise indicated, all the statistical information relating to the Botswana motor vehicle accident environment is from this Report.

6 Study by the UNCTAD Secretariat, op. cit. in n. 4 at 2.

7 Studies in developed countries clearly indicate the contrary. The risk of accidents involving bodily injuries declines with an increase in motor vehicle density and, with few exceptions such as Greece andjapan, there is also a decline in accident severity and fewer road deaths. See in general, Study by A. R. B. Amerasinghe for the UNCTAD Secretariat, Problems of Developing Countries in the Field of Motor Insurance, Doc. TD/B/C.3/176/Supp.l at 3.

8 Traffic Safety Report 1996, loc. cit. at n. 5 at 11.

9 Ibid. at 14.

10 Botswana Daily News, 15 July, 1998, at 3.

11 Traffic Safety Report 1996, loc. cit. at n. 5 at 34.

12 Fombad, C. M., “The Motor Vehicle Accident Compensation Ordinance, 1989, of Cameroon”, [1995] 39 J.A.L. 198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

13 See in general the discussion and authorities cited in Study by A. R. B. Amerasinghe, loc. cit. in n. 7 and Cane, P., Atiyah's Accidents, Compensation and the Law (5th ed), London, 1993, 25–28 149–160.Google Scholar

14 Palmer, G. W. R., “Compensation for personal injury: A requiem for the common law in New Zealand”, (1973) 21 American Journal of Comparative Law 1–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

15 See in general Markesinis, B. S. and Deakin, S. F., Tort Law (3rd ed), Oxford, 1994, 44–57 and 275–280;Google Scholar Peter Cane, loc. cit in n. 13 at 415 427; Redmond-Cooper, R., “No-fault liability on French roads” in Mclean, S. (ed.), Compensation for Damage. An International Perspective, Aldershot, 1993, 115–117;Google Scholar Study by the UNCTAD Secretariat, Compensation of Victims of Motor Accidents: Alternative Legal Systems for Developing Countries. DOC. TD/B/C.3/190; and Bolgár, V., “Motor vehicle accident compensation: Types and trends”, (1953) 2 American Journal of Comparative Law 515–523.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

16 Markesinis and Deakin, loc. cit. in n. 15 at 41.

17 Elliot, D. W. and Street, H., Road Accidents, London, 1968.Google Scholar

18 Study by the UNCTAD Secretariat, loc. cit. in n. 15 at 5.

19 Palmer, loc. cit. in n. 14 and the same author in “Accident compensation in New Zealand: The first two years”, (1997) 25 American Journal of Comparative Law 1–45.Google Scholar

20 It is debatable if there is strictly speaking any no-fault scheme, for even under the New Zealand scheme, two causal issues arise. First, the need to prove that the injury was caused by an “accident” and second, in medical misadventure cases, the proof that the injury was actually the result of a medical misadventure and not the condition being treated. For a recent assessment of the amended New Zealand Act, see Mahoney, R., “New Zealand's accident compensation scheme: A reassessment”, (1992) 40 American Journal of Comparative Law 159–211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

21 See generally Markenisis and Deakin, loc. cit. in n. 15. 41–54; Cane, loc. cit. in. n. 13, 11–12 and Rogers, W. V. H., Winfield and Jolowicz on Tort (14th ed), London. 1994, 35–45.Google Scholar

22 Cane, loc. cit. in n. 13, at 12.

23 Keeton, R. E. and O'Connell, J., Basic Protection for the Traffic Victim: A Blueprint for Reforming Automobile Insurance. Boston, 1965.Google Scholar

24 Study by UNCTAD Secretariat, loc. cit. in n. 4 at 3.

25 Ibid. at 3–5.

26 National Assembly, Official Report of parliamentary debate on the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund Bill, 1998—Second Reading, Hansard, Gaborone, Government Printer (1998), hereinafter cited as Hansard.

27 S. 4(2) of the Act.

28 S. 5(1) ibid.

29 S. 7(1) ibid.

30 Hansard, 62 and 88.

31 S. 9(1) and (2) of the Act.

32 S. 9(4) ibid.

33 S. 10(a) ibid.

34 S. 10(a) ibid.

35 Study by A. R. B. Amerasinghe, loc. cit. in n. 7 at 3–4.

36 Ibid. at 17.

37 S. 11(2) of the Act. The “thebe” is a lower unit of the Botswana currency, 100 of which make a “Pula” as explained in n. 43 below.

38 Waldron, J., “Moments of carelessness and massive loss”, in Owen, D. G. (ed.). Philosophical Foundations of Tort Law, Oxford, 1995, 388–406.Google Scholar

39 It has been alleged that the South African Fund is in the red by about R2 billion. See Hansard. 85.

40 S. 11(8) of the Act.

41 S. 11(9) ibid.

42 Table based on statistics obtained from the Fund.

43 “P” stands for “Pula”, the Botswana currency which exchanges at 0.2130 to a US dollar as at 30 August, 1998.

44 Act 93 of 1989 which came into force on 1 May, 1989.

45 Workmen's Compensation Commissioner v. Santan Bpk. 1969 (4) SA 732 (C) at 736.Google Scholar

46 Hodes, L. H., Suzman. Gordon and Hodes on the Law of Compulsory Motor Vehicle Insurance in South Africa (3rd ed), Cape Town, 1982, 97.Google Scholar

47 De Waal v. Messing 1938 TDP 34.Google Scholar

48 Hodes, loc. tit. in n. 46 at 99 and Nathan, C. J. M., A Handbook on the Compulsory Motor Insurance Act 1972 (2nd ed), Durban, 1979, 57–58.Google Scholar

49 Cane, loc. tit. in n. 13 at 171.

50 Oberholzer v. Santam Ins. Co. Ltd. 1970 (1) SA 337 (iv).Google Scholar

51 Hodes, loc. cit. in n. 46, 103–105.

52 Ibid. at 103.

53 Redmond-Cooper, loc. cit. in n. 15 at 124.

54 Hansard, 49.

55 Ibid.

56 See the Wessels Commission of Inquiry Report, discussed in Hodes, loc. cit. in n. 46, at 7–9.

57 Burchell, J., Principles of Delict, Cape Town, 1993, 15–18Google Scholar and in general, Van Der Walt, J. C., “Strict liability in South African law of delict”, (1968) 1 Comparative and International Law Journal of Southern Africa 49–83.Google Scholar

58 Hansard, 49.

59 Markesinis and Deakin, loc. cit. in n. 15 at 272.

60 Ibid. at 273.

61 Redmond-Cooper, loc. cit. in n. 15.

62 S. 13(a) (b) and (c) of the Act.

63 See generally ss. 12(l)c, 12(4)(a) and (b); 12(5) and 14(3) ibid.

64 See generally ss. 12(l)(b)(i) and (ii); 12(5); 15(5) and 15(12) ibid.

65 Burchell, loc. cit. in n. 57 at 126.

66 Visser, P. J. and Potgieter, J. M., Law of Damages, Cape Town. 1993. 363–365.Google Scholar

67 Ibid. at 364, ftn. 67.

68 See generally Greer, D., Compensation for Criminal Injuries, London. 1991. 107.Google Scholar

69 Ibid.

70 S. 12(l)(b)(i) and (ii) of the Act.

71 See some examples of this in Fombad, loc. cit. in n. 12 and study by the UNCTAD Secretariat, loc. cit. in n. 15 at 5–7.

72 Hansard, 54.

73 Burchell, loc. cit. in n. 57 at 141–145.

74 Hansard, 49 and 85.

75 Ibid. at 51.

76 Gomard, B., “Compensation for automobile accidents in the Nordic countries”, (1970) 18 American Journal of Comparative Law 92–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

77 Grace v. Workmen's Compensation Commissioner. 1967(4) SA 137 (T).Google Scholar

78 Cane, loc. cit. in n. 13 at 47–49.

79 Boberg, P. Q. R., The Law of Delict vol. 1, Cape Town, 1984, 660.Google Scholar

80 Greer, loc. cit. in n. 68 at 69.

81 S. 15(9) and (1) of the Act.

82 S. 15(12) ibid.

83 H. Hodes, loc. cit. in n. 46 at 214–217 and C. J. M. Nathan, lot. cit. in n. 48 at 69.

84 Hansard, 55.

85 Ibid. at 59 and 83.

86 Ibid. at 83.

87 Ultramares Corp v. Touche. (1931) 255 NY 170, 174 NE 441 at 444.Google Scholar

88 [1983] 1 AC 410 at 431.Google Scholar

89 Cane, loc. rit. in n. 13 at 72–76.

90 Ibid. at. 75–76.

91 Lionel H. Hodes, loc. cit. in n. 69 at 195–265.

92 S. 18(1) of the Act.

93 The proviso to s. 18(1) ibid.

94 S. 18(2) ibid.

95 S. 19(4) and (5) ibid.

96 Cf. Greer, loc. cit. in n. 68, at 195–265.

97 [1939] 3 All ER 513 at 525.Google Scholar

98 1957 (3) SA 544 (AD).Google Scholar

99 1960 (2) SA 852 (D)Google Scholar and 1961 (4) SA 764 (D).Google Scholar

100 Cap. 63:02.

101 Hodes, loc. cit. in n. 46 at 285–291 and Nathan, loc. cit. in n. 48 at 73–75.

102 S. 21(3)(a)and(b)of the Act.

103 The proviso to s. 21(3) (b) ibid.

104 Civil Appeal No. 40 of 1996 (Unreported).

105 S. 21(4) (a), (b) an d (c) of the Act.

106 S. 21(5) ibid.

107 Hodes, loc. cit. in n. 46 at 300–310 and Nathan, loc. cit. in n. 48 at 71 and 75–77.

108 Hodes, loc. cit. in n. 46 at 307.

109 1976 (1) SA 917 (D).Google Scholar

110 1981 (2) SA 710 (AD).Google Scholar

111 Smith v. Williams. 1952 (2) SA 682 (W).Google Scholar

112 Wigham v. British Traders Insurance Co. Ltd. 1963 (3) SA 151 (W).Google Scholar

113 Hodes, lor. cit. in n. 46 at 275.

114 Moatshe v. Commercial Union Assurance Co. SA Ltd. 1991 (4) SA 372 (W).Google Scholar

115 R v. C.I.C.B. ex parte Lain. [1967] 2 QB 864.Google Scholar

116 Woolf, H. and Jowell, J., Judicial Review of Administrative Action (5th ed.), London, 1995, 198Google Scholar and Gordon, R. J. F., Judicial Review: Law and Practice, London. 1984, 12–13.Google Scholar

117 S. 22 of the Act.

118 S. 22(1) to (f) ibid.

119 S. 22(d) ibid.

120 Hodes, loc. cit. in n. 46 at 353.

121 Gomard, loc. cit. in n. 76 at 102 and Cane, Peter. Tort Law and Economic Interests, Oxford, 1991, 450–451.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

122 Yardin, U., “Outline of an automobile compensation plan for Israel”, (1964) 13 American Journal of Comparative Law 288–289.Google Scholar

123 Good, K., “At the ends of the ladder: Radical inequality in Botswana”, (1993) 30(1) Journal of Modern African Studies 127.Google Scholar

124 See generally Amerasinghe, loc. cit. in n. 7. at 16–18.