CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY

THEFT cont

Essential Elements of the Crime:

(common to all forms of theft)
1. 2. 3. 4. Act of appropriation in respect of Property committed unlawfully and intentionally.

Essential Elements of the Crime:

2. Property - things capable of being stolen:
i) Movable ii) Corporeal not:
design or idea R v Cheeseborough 1948 (3) SA 756 (T) Board and lodging - R v Renaud 1922 CPD 322 Electricity / energy S v Mintoor 1996 (1) SACR 514 (C). [Electricity Act 41 of 1987 creates offence] Computer software programme through copying

BUT:

Money: S v Kotze 1965 1 SA 118 (A); S v Graham 1975 (3) SA 569 (A) Shares: S v Harper 1981 (2) SA 638 (D)

Essential Elements of the Crime:

2. Property - things capable of being stolen:
iii) In commercio: not: Res communes
S v Mostert & Another 2010 (1) SACR 223 (SCA)

Res publicae Res derelictae Res nullius

S v Mdaba 2002 (1) SACR 556 (E)

Res sua

GAME THEFT ACT 105 OF 1991

S.2(1)(a) A person who holds or keeps game in an enclosed area shall not lose ownership of the game if it escapes from the enclosure. S.2(1)(b) Ownership of game shall not vest in anyone who, unlawfully and without the consent of the owner, takes it. Ownership remains vested in the person referred to in (a) or the owner of the land from which the game was taken. S.3 Entering land or dispersing or luring away game with intent to steal game is an offence.

Essential Elements of the Crime:

2. Property - things capable of being stolen:
iii) In commercio: not: Res communes
S v Mostert & Another 2010 (1) SACR 223 (SCA)

Res publicae Res derelictae Res nullius

S v Mdaba 2002 (1) SACR 556 (E)

Res sua

Essential Elements of the Crime:

3. Unlawfulness Possible grounds of justification: negotiorum gestio (unauthorised administration / presumed intent) Necessity Statutory authority Consent

Essential Elements of the Crime:

4. Intention a) in respect of the property b) in respect of unlawfulness (claim of right)

Essential Elements of the Crime:

4. Intention
c) Intention to Appropriate
Also 2 components: (i) Negative (ii) Positive S v M 1982 (1) SA 309 (O) Riba v S [2010] All SA 331 (SCA)

d) Intention to permanently deprive

S v Sibiya 1955 (4) SA 247 (A)

e) Intention to derive a benefit not required

Fungible Things
Unauthorised borrowing Also: statutory offence of Unauthorised Borrowing, in terms of s.1(1) of the General Law Amendment Act 50 of 1956 Money?
S v Graham 1975 (3) SA 569 (A) S v Visagie 1991 (1) SA 177 (A)