Fences are a natural aspect of most properties, and definately for plots (small holdings, such as those in Veekraal) as well.  But there is a great deal of confusion regarding the duties and rights of owners regarding fences.  In this page, some of the common misunderstandings will be addressed.

Firstly, there exists in South Africa a legal framework within which fences are dealt with, and the legislation can readily be obtained through a basic search on the internet.

The main principle pertaining to fences is that every fence that exists between two neighbours are owned by both neighbors on a 50%-50% basis.  This means that both neighbours have equal rights and equal obligations regarding the fence that separates the two properties.  All maintenance pertaining to the fence therefore have to be shared equally between the neighbours, including cost, labour, etc.

However, the fence needs to exist in its minimal form.  If one neighbour wants to upgrade the fence to become more beautiful (for example), the neighbour does not need to pay for the upgrade, unless both parties desire the upgrade and agree before the time to share the cost.  But, if the fence became delapidated over time and needed to be replaced to merely maintains its integrity, then both neighbours need to share the cost on a 50-50 basis.

Another possibility is that a fence might exist between two neighbours, but one of the two neighbours decide to start with a new farming activity for which the existing fence would be insufficient, for example farming with chickens.  For this reason, this one neighbour (the chicken farmer) needs to upgrade the fence to a chicken-proof fence.  In this example, the chicken farmer needs to incur the full cost of the upgraded fence, since the existing fence was still sufficient for the neighbour and it is merely because of the chickens that the fence needs to be upgraded.  Therefore, the chicken farmer needs to pay for the upgrade while the neighbour does not have to pay anything.  But, five years later the other neighbour (the one that does not farm with chickens) decides to start farming with ducks.  Then the old existing fence that was replaced five years prior would not have been sufficient for the ducks, and now the duck farmer needs to pay his neighbour (the chicken farmer) 50% of the cost that the fence costed five years ago, because the duck farmer is now also going to require the upgraded fence.

Fences remain an important part of life in the rural setting of Veekraal – and as the saying goes, “good fences makes good neighbours“.

Heinings is ‘n natuurlike aspek van die meeste eiendomme, en beslis ook vir plotte (of kleinhoewes, soos dié in Veekraal).  Maar daar is baie verwarring rakende die pligte en regte van eienaars aangaande heinings.  Op hierdie bladsy sal sommige van die algemene misverstande aangespreek word.

Eerstens, daar bestaan in Suid-Afrika ‘n wetsraamwerk waarbinne heinings hanteer word, en die wetgewing kan maklik verkry word deur ‘n basiese soektog op die internet.

Die hoofbeginsel met betrekking tot heinings is dat elke heining wat tussen twee bure bestaan, deur beide bure op ‘n 50%-50% basis besit word.  Dit beteken dat beide bure gelyke regte en gelyke verpligtinge het rakende die heining wat die twee eiendomme skei.  Alle onderhoud met betrekking tot die heining moet dus gelykop tussen die bure gedeel word, insluitend koste, arbeid, ens.

Die heining moet egter in sy minimum vorm bestaan.  As een buurman die heining wil opgradeer om dit mooier te maak (byvoorbeeld), hoef die ander buurman nie vir die opgradering te betaal nie, tensy beide partye die opgradering verlang en vooraf ooreenkom om die koste te deel.  Maar as die heining mettertyd vervalle geraak het en vervang moes word om bloot sy integriteit te behou, moet beide bure die koste 50-50 deel.

Nog ‘n moontlikheid is dat ‘n heining tussen twee bure kan bestaan, maar dat een van die twee bure besluit om met ‘n nuwe boerderyaktiwiteit te begin waarvoor die bestaande heining onvoldoende sou wees, byvoorbeeld om met hoenderste boer.  Om hierdie rede moet hierdie een buurman (die hoenderboer) die heining opgradeer en ‘n hoendervaste heining oprig.  In hierdie voorbeeld moet die hoenderboer die volle koste van die opgegradeerde heining dra, aangesien die bestaande heining steeds voldoende was vir die buurman en dit bloot as gevolg van die hoenders is dat die heining opgegradeer moet word.  Daarom moet die hoenderboer vir die opgradering betaal terwyl die buurman niks hoef te betaal nie.  Maar, kom ons sê vyf jaar later besluit die ander buurman (die een wat nie met hoenders boer nie) om met eende te begin boer.  Dan sou die ou bestaande heining wat vyf jaar tevore vervang was, nie voldoende vir die eende gewees het nie, en nou moet die eendeboer sy buurman (die hoenderboer) 50% van die koste betaal wat die heining vyf jaar gelede gekos het, want die eendeboer gaan nou ook die opgegradeerde heining benodig.

Heinings bly ‘n belangrike deel van die lewe in die landelike omgewing van Veekraal – en soos die gesegde lui, “goeie heinings maak goeie bure“.