NN 22/2026
VERJARING VAN ‘N EIS
Voorkom verjaring van ‘n eis
Verjaring van ‘n eis is ‘n belangrike regsbegrip wat bepaal of jy jou eis kan afdwing en of dit met die verloop van tyd verval. Dit beteken nie dat jou eis of die skuld net kan verdwyn nie, maar eerder dat jy jou reg om dit in die hof af te dwing, verbeur.
Wat beteken verjaring?
Om dit in eenvoudige terme te stel, verwys verjaring na die proses waardeur ‘n skuld of eis nie meer afdwingbaar is nie omdat die skuldeiser te lank gewag het om op te tree.
Die doel van verjaring is om regsekerheid te bevorder en te voorkom dat eise vir ‘n onredelik lang tydperk afdwingbaar bly.
Hoe lank het jy om jou eis in te dien?
Die algemene tydperk waarbinne ‘n eis ingestel kan word, is drie jaar ingevolge Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing. Dit geld gewoonlik vir:
- Kontraktuele eise;
- Deliktuele eise.
Daar is egter uitsonderings vir sekere skulde, bv. hofbevele kan ‘n verjaringstydperk van 30 jaar hê.
Wanneer begin verjaring loop?
Verjaring begin loop sodra die skuldeiser bewus is of redelikerwys bewus moes wees van:
- Die bestaan van die skuld;
- Die identiteit van die skuldenaar.
Hierdie beginsel verseker dat ‘n skuldeiser nie benadeel word indien hy of sy nie onmiddellik kennis dra van die skuld en identiteit van die skuldenaar nie.
Onderbreking van verjaring
Verjaring kan onderbreek word, wat beteken dat die tydperk weer van voor af kan begin loop. Dit kan gebeur wanneer:
- Die skuldenaar die skuld erken bv. skulderkenning;
- Die skuldeiser regsaksie instel, bv. deur dagvaardiging.
Dit is baie belangrik vir jou om betyds op te tree en om die skuldenaars bewus te maak van jou eis voor jou eis deur die verjaringstydperk beïnvloed word.
Uitsonderings in arbeidsreg
Noudat die algemene beginsels van verjaring verstaan word, moet daar gekyk word na wat gebeur indien daar ‘n onbillike arbeidspraktyk plaasvind.
In die Wet op Arbeidsverhoudinge word dit gestel dat as ‘n onbillike arbeidspraktyk plaasvind moet dit binne 90 dae wat die werknemer bewus geword het van die werkgewer se onbillike handeling of versuim, verwys word.
In arbeidsreg praat ons tegnies nie van verjaring soos in siviele eise ingevolge die Verjaringswet nie, maar eerder van tydperke waarbinne ’n geskil verwys moet word.
By ’n onbillike arbeidspraktyk soos bevorderingsgeskille, geskille rakende voordele, ens. moet die werknemer die geskil binne 90 dae na die datum van die handeling of versuim óf vanaf die datum wanneer die werknemer bewus geword het, of redelikerwys bewus moes word van die handeling of versuim, dit na die KVBA verwys. RAVO spesifiek werk nie volgens dieselfde tydperk nie en jy het slegs 30 dae om 'n ontslag dispuut na hulle te verwys.
Indien die geskil nie binne die voorgeskrewe tyd periode verwys word nie, beteken dit nie dat die geskil outomaties verjaar soos in die gewone siviele reg nie, maar eerder dat dit laat verwys is.
Wat gebeur as jou geskil laat verwys is?
Die werknemer kan steeds met die saak voortgaan, maar moet om kondonasie aansoek doen. Die kommissaris sal kyk na:
- Die periode van die vertraging;
- Die rede vir die vertraging;
- Die vooruitsigte van sukses;
- Die mate waarin ‘n gunstige of ongunstige bevinding die partye sal benadeel. | Of tot watter mate ‘n gunstige of ongunstige bevinding die partye sal benadeel (nader aan die Engels).
Indien kondonasie toegestaan word, kan die saak steeds voortgaan.
Die voorgeskrewe tydperk is, streng gesproke, nie ‘n verjaringstydperk nie, maar ’n prosedurele sperdatum. Dit bly egter steeds belangrik om die sperdatums na te kom, want sonder goeie redes kan ’n laat dispuut maklik van die hand gewys word.
Belangrike onderskeid
- Siviele reg (Verjaringswet): Na byvoorbeeld 3 jaar is jou eis gewoonlik nie meer afdwingbaar nie.
- Arbeidsreg (WAV): Na 90 dae is jou verwysing laat, maar ‘n kondonasie aansoek kan dit nog red onder sekere uitsonderlike omstandighede.
Ander relevante tydperke
Net ter volledigheid:
- Onbillike ontslag: 30 dae om te verwys;
- Onbillike arbeidspraktyk: 90 dae (KVBA);
- Onbillike arbeidspraktyk: 90 dae (RAVO);
- Algemene eise: 3 jaar.
Indien jy twyfel of vrae het oor die onderwerp, moet asseblief nie huiwer om jou provinsiale SAOU-kantoor of die SAOU Regsafdeling te kontak nie.
2026/09/14
PRESCRIPTION OF A CLAIM
Preventing prescription of a claim
Prescription of a claim is an important legal concept that determines whether you can enforce your claim or whether it lapses with the passage of time. This does not mean that your claim or the debt simply disappears, but rather that you forfeit our right to enforce it in court.
What does prescription mean?
In simple terms, prescription refers to the process by which a debt or claim becomes unenforceable because the creditor waited too long to act.
The purpose of prescription is to promote legal certainty and to prevent claims from remaining enforceable for an unreasonably long period.
How long do you have to institute your claim?
The general period within which a claim may be instituted is three years according to South African law. This usually applies to:
- Contractual claims;
- Delictual claims.
There are, however, exceptions for certain debts. For example, debts arising from court orders may prescribe after 30 years.
When does prescription start running?
Prescription begins to run as soon as the creditor is aware or could reasonably have been aware, of:
- The existence of the debt;
- The identity of the debtor.
This principle ensures that a creditor is not prejudiced if he or she does not immediately have knowledge of the debt or the identity of the debtor.
Interruption of prescription
Prescription can be interrupted, which means the period starts running afresh. This may happen when:
- The debtor acknowledges the debt (e.g. an acknowledgment of debt);
- The creditor institutes legal action, for example by issuing summons.
It is therefore very important to act timeously and to make debtors aware of your claim before it is affected by prescription.
Exceptions in Labour Law
Now that a general understanding of the principles of prescription exists, one must consider what happens when an unfair labour practice occurs.
The Labour Relations Act provides that if an unfair labour practice occurs, it must be referred within 90 days from the date the employee became aware of the act or omission.
Technically, in labour law we do not speak of prescription as in civil claims under the Prescription Act, but rather of time periods within which a dispute must be referred.
In the case of unfair labour practice disputes such as promotion disputes, disputes relating to benefits, etc., the employee must refer the dispute within 90 days of the act or omission or from when the employee became aware or should reasonably have become aware of the act or omission to the CCMA. The ELRC operates under different time periods and you only have 30 days to refer a dismissal dispute to the ELRC.
If the disputes are not referred withing the prescribed time period, it does not mean the dispute automatically prescribes as in ordinary civil law, but rather that it is referred late.
What happens if your dispute is referred late?
The employee may still proceed with the case, but must apply for condonation. The commissioner will then consider the following:
- The length of the delay;
- The reason for the delay;
- The prospects of success;
- How a favourable or unfavourable finding will or will not prejudice the parties. Whether and to what extent a favourable or unfavourable finding will prejudice the parties.
If condonation is granted, the matter may proceed.
The prescribed time period is therefore not strictly the prescription, but a procedural deadline. However, it remains important to comply with the deadline, as without good reasons, a late dispute may easily be dismissed.
Important distinction
- Civil law (Prescription Act): After, for example, 3 years, your claim is generally no longer enforceable.
- Labour law (LRA): After 90 days, your referral is late, but a condonation application may allow the matter to proceed.
Other relevant time periods
For completeness:
- Unfair dismissal: 30 days to refer;
- Unfair labour practice: 90 days (CCMA);
- Unfair labour practice: 90 days (ELRC);
- General claims: 3 years.
If you have doubts or questions regarding the matter, please do not hesitate to contact your provincial SAOU office or the SAOU Legal Department.
