Owerheidsooreenkoms : 'n administratiefregtelike ondersoek

Abstract

Uit 'n regsvergelykende studie van owerheidsooreenkomste in die Duitse -, Nederlandse -, Engelse - en Suid-Afrikaanse reg blyk dit dat die owerheid reeds aan die einde van die vorige eeu die privaatregtelike kontrak gebruik om goedere en dienste te verkry en om privaat persone by die administrasie te betrek. Die heersende liberale beskouing sien die verhouding tussen die owerheid en die burger as 'n gesagsverhouding. Die ooreenkoms word oak gebruik om samewerking tussen owerheidsliggame moontlik te maak. In al die regstelsels ontwikkel die algemene beginsels van die administratiefreg eers in hierdie eeu. Die administratiefreg ontwikkel as 'n toevoeging tot die privaatreg. Aanvanklik word net die administratiewe handelinge van die owerheid aan kontrole onderwerp. Na die Tweede Wereldoorlog word die verhouding tussen owerheid en burger verhorisontaliseer. Die gebreke van die stelsel van verteenwoordigende demokrasie lei daartoe dat daar aan die burger al hoe grater direkte deelname aan administrasie verleen word. Die ooreenkoms is een van die middels waarmee dit verwesenlik word. In Suid-Afrika word die uitbreiding van stemreg na almal eers nou 'n werklikheid en sal die ontwikkeling van deelnemende demokrasie afhang van watter beskouing van die verhouding tussen die owerheid en die burger hier gaan posvat. Die privaatregtelike kontrak word ook al hoe meer aan die administratiefreg onderwerp. Alie ooreenkomste van die owerheid word deur 'n stel gemengde reels van beide die privaat- en die publiekreg gereel. Die owerheidsooreenkoms kom dus op die grensgebied tussen die privaat- en die publiekreg voor. Hierdie gebied is 'n spanningsveld waar die onderliggende beginsels van beide die kontraktereg en die administratiefreg 'n invloed uitoefen. Die versoening van hierdie twee groepe beginsels skep probleme in die verskillende regstelsels. Die Suid-Afrikaanse reg is in die beginstadium van hierdie ontwikkeling. In al die regstelsels kom ooreenkomste voor wat as administratiefregtelik van aard aangemerk kan word. Die erkenning van 'n algemene magtiging om administratiefregtelike ooreenkomste te sluit, hang baie nou saam met die wyse waarop die onderskeid tussen die privaat- en die publiekreg in die positiewe reg beslag kry.

A comparative study of governmental agreements in German, Dutch, English and South African law indicates that governments already used the private law contract at the end of the previous century to obtain goods and services and to involve private persons in the administration. The prevailing liberal view regarded the relationship between government and citizen as one characterized by state authority. The agreement was also used to facilitate co-operation between government organs. In all these legal systems the general principles of administrative law only evolved in this century. Administrative law developed as an adjunct to private law. Only administrative actions of the government were initially subject to control. After World War II the relationship between government and citizE-n was horizontalized. As a result of the shortcomings of the system of representatiVEl democracy, citizens were granted more direct participation in the administration. The agreement was one of the means by which this was realized. In South Africa the extension of the franchise to everybody is only now becoming a reality and the evolvement of participatory democracy will depend upon which view of the relationship between government and citizen prevails. Moreover, the private law contract is increasingly subjected to administrative law. All governmental agreements are controlled by a set of mixed rules deriving from both private and public law. The governmental agreement, therefore, is found on the boundary between private and public law. Tension exists in this area where the underlying principles of both the law of contract and administrative law have influence. The reconciliation of these two groups of principles creates problems in several legal systems. South African law is in the initial stages of this development. In all the legal systems there are agreements which can be regarded, by nature, as pertaining to administrative law. The acknowledgement of a general authorization to enter into administrative law agreements is closely linked to the way in which the distinction between private and public law is established in positive law.