NORTONS INC. SECURES 2 SIGNIFICANT COURT OUTCOMES FOR CLIENTS

We are pleased to announce that we have secured two significant Court outcomes for our clients during the course of the past week.

First, Nortons Incorporated assisted PPC Limited (PPC) in successfully reviewing a decision by the Competition Tribunal of South Africa granting interim relief in favour of a buying group, EST. The Competition Appeal Court reviewed this decision and set it aside and granted costs in PPC’s favour. EST sought leave from the Constitutional Court to appeal this judgment of the Competition Appeal Court. This week the Constitutional Court dismissed the application for leave to appeal.

Second, Nortons Inc. represented Mpact Limited and certain of its subsidiaries in a dispute with the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in relation to the electricity tariffs which are being levied by Ekurhuleni. The tariffs being charged by Ekurhuleni are significantly higher than the cost Mpact would pay if it were purchasing directly from Eskom. Mpact launched a review to challenge the tariffs and declared a dispute in terms of section 102 of the Municipal Systems Act. Despite the recent clear decision of the High Court relating to the meaning of s102 and the fact that the High Court had effectively declared the 2025/6 electricity tariffs to be unlawful, Ekurhuleni threatened that it would cut off the supply of electricity to Mpact’s plants in Ekurhuleni. The matter was argued before Judge Mbongwe and the Court found in favour of Mpact.