Section 1 of Partnerships Act 16 of 2012: Short title and commencement
This Act may be cited as the Partnerships Act, 2012 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, appoint.
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- Section 2 - Interpretation
(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—
“address”, means—
(a) for an individual, the usual residential and postal address of that individual;
(b) for a company or a limited...
- Section 3 - Bodies excluded from scope of this Act
For the purpose of this Act, the following bodies shall not be considered as a partnership—
(a) a limited liability partnership;
(b) a corporate body; or
(c) a foreign limited partnership.
- Section 4 - Liability of partners
(1) Each partner in a partnership has unlimited liability.
(2) To be a limited partnership, a partnership shall have—
(a) one or more general partners, each with unlimited liability; and
(b) one...
- Section 5 - Variation of partnership agreement
A partnership agreement may, if it so provides, be varied—
(a) before the formation of the partnership, with the agreement of all proposed partners; or
(b) after the formation of the partnership,...
- Section 6 - When default rule applies
(1) Where a default rule applies in relation to a partnership, it shall be treated as a term of the partnership agreement.
(2) The application of a default rule in relation to a partnership may be...
- Section 7 - The carrying on of partnership business
(1) Each partner in a partnership shall have responsibility for the business of the partnership.
(2) A partnership shall be capable of—
(a) suing and being sued in its own name;
(b) entering...
- Section 8 - Partnership to have unlimited capacity
(1) Subject to section 9, the capacity of a partnership as a legal person is unlimited.
(2) A partnership shall not employ a partner as an employee of the firm.
- Section 9 - Incapacity to commit offences
A partnership is not capable of committing an offence except so far as is provided under any written law.
- Section 10 - Duty of good faith
(1) A partner has a duty to act in good faith towards—
(a) the partnership; and
(b) the other partners in the partnership, in relation to all matters affecting the partnership.
(2) A partner...
- Section 11 - Duty of disclosure on forming or joining a partnership
(1) A person shall, before forming a partnership, disclose to a prospective partner anything known to the person which would reasonably be expected to influence the decision of the prospective partner...
- Section 12 - Share of profits and losses
(1) A partner is entitled to share equally in the profits of the partnership and is liable to contribute equally towards the losses incurred by the partnership in equal proportions.
(2) A partner is...
- Section 13 - Remuneration, expenses, personal liabilities
(1) A partner is not entitled to remuneration from the partnership for acting in the business of the partnership.
(2) A partnership shall indemnify a partner in respect of payments made by the...
- Section 14 - Capital contribution by partner
(1) A partner may only—
(a) contribute capital to the partnership; or
(b) vary the amount of the partner’s capital contribution to the partnership, where all partners in the partnership agree....
- Section 15 - Management of partnership business and affairs
(1) A partner is entitled to participate part in the management of the business of the partnership.
(2) Differences arising out of an ordinary matter connected with the business of the partnership...
- Section 16 - Accounting and partnership records
(1) Every partner shall have the responsibility to ensure that—
(a) accounting records of transactions affecting the partnership in which he is involved are properly kept; and
(b) the records are,...
- Section 17 - Partnership bound by acts of partners carrying on business in usual manner
(1) A partnership is bound by an act done by a partner who is carrying on the business of the partnership.
(2) A partnership is not bound by an act or omission of a partner under subsection (1) if—...
- Section 18 - Rules for identifying partnership property
(1) All rights and interest in the property acquired on behalf of the partnership or for the purpose and in the course of business of the partnership, and acquired on behalf of the partnership, is...
- Section 19 - Land acquired out of partnership profits
Where co-owners of an estate or interest in any land, not being itself partnership property, are partners with regard to profits made by the use of that land or estate, and purchase other land or...
- Section 20 - Execution of deeds
(1) A document is validly executed by a partnership as a deed under this Act if it is—
(a) executed by at least two partners, each with the authority of all the partners to execute on behalf of the...
- Section 21 - Liability of partnership for loss or injury caused by partner
A partnership shall be liable for loss or injury caused by the wrongful act or omission of a partner to a person who is not a partner, if the loss or injury is caused by a partner—
(a) acting in...
- Section 22 - Unlimited liability of partners
(1) A partner who has unlimited liability is personally liable for the whole amount of any obligation incurred by the partnership while he is a partner where—
(a) a judgment, order or arbitral...
- Section 23 - Secondary nature of partner’s liability
A partner may not in any proceedings, be held personally liable under section 22(1) unless—
(a) there has been a judgment. Order or arbitral award against the partnership in the same or earlier...
- Section 24 - Chief Justice may make rules on partner’s secondary liability
(1) The Chief Justice may make rules—
(a) preventing a partner from defending; or
(b) restricting the extent to which, or the way in which, a partner may defend,
proceedings in respect of...
- Section 25 - Non-partners who are liable by “holding out”
(1) A person who is not a partner in a partnership and who by words spoken or written or by conduct—
(a) represents the partnership as a partner; or
(b) knowingly allows the partnership to be...
- Section 26 - Admission of new partners
(1) A person may become a partner in an existing partnership with the consent of all existing partners.
(2) The consent referred to in subsection (1) may either be express in writing or inferred...
- Section 27 - Ceasing to be a partner
A person shall cease to be a partner in a partnership if—
(a) the person dies;
(b) the person is expelled as a partner by his co-partners under the provisions of section 29;
(c) the partnership...
- Section 28 - Resignation of a partner
(1) A partner may resign from a partnership only by giving to the other partners notice of intention to do so not less than three months before the resignation is to take effect.
(2) If—
(a) a...
- Section 29 - Power to expel partner
(1) A majority of partners in a partnership may expel a partner if— (a) an order is made against the partner under section 44; or
(b) the whole or a part of the partner’s shares in the...
- Section 30 - Realization of shares of former partner (other than on winding up)
A person who ceases to be a partner before the break up of a partnership shall be entitled to the assets or shall be liable for any losses or obligations which he would have been entitled to or liable...
- Section 31 - Liability of former partner for obligations incurred while a partner
(1) A person who ceases to be a partner does not cease to be personally liable under section 22(1) for partnership obligations incurred while a partner.
(2) An agreement between a former partner,...
- Section 32 - Former partners: indemnity and contribution, and return of property
(1) A partnership shall indemnify a former partner in respect of payment made by the partner to discharge the whole or part of his personal liability for a partnership obligation.
(2) An indemnity...
- Section 33 - Restrictions on liability of former partners or employees by “holding out”
(1) A former partner is not personally liable for a debt or obligation incurred by the partnership as a result of any dealings between the partnership and a person who deals with the partnership...
- Section 34 - Position of assignee of partner’s share
(1) An assignment of a share in a partnership shall not entitle the assignee to—
(a) participate in the management or administration of the partnership business or affairs; or
(b) inspect the...
- Section 35 - Break up of partnership
(1) A partnership breaks up if—
(a) the number of partners falls below two;
(b) the partnership is for a fixed term and the term expires;
(c) an order to break up the partnership is made by the...
- Section 36 - Effects of break up
(1) A partnership which breaks up in the manner described in section 35 shall carry on with partnership business in so far as it is necessary for— (a) the dissolution of the partnership;
(b)...
- Section 37 - Restriction on ceasing to be a partner on or after break up
(1) A person who ceases to be a partner on the break up of a partnership is nevertheless to be treated as continuing to be a partner only for purposes of winding up the partnership.
(2) Subsection...
- Section 38 - Publicity for departure of partner or break up of partnership
(1) A person who voluntarily ceases to be a partner in a partnership—
(a) may publish notice of the fact that he has ceased to be a partner; and
(b) may require the other partners to give any...
- Section 39 - Protection for property acquired after break-up
(1) In this section, “successor partnership” means a partnership—
(a) formed on or after the break up of a partnership which has not been dissolved; and
consisting of at least one person who was a...
- Section 40 - Winding up by partners
(1) A partnership which breaks up may be wound up under this section by one or more partners in the partnership.
(2) Differences arising as to matters connected with the winding up of the...
- Section 41 - Distribution of partner’s assets on winding up
(1) The interests of partners in the partnership property and their rights and duties in relation to the partnership property shall, on the winding up of the partnership, be determined by the...
- Section 42 - Dissolution of partnership which has broken up
(1) A partnership which breaks up under section 35 shall stand dissolved if—
(a) all partnership property is distributed to persons entitled to it;
(b) any trust property has been transferred to—...
- Section 43 - Power of Court to make order charging partner’s share
(1) The Court may, on the application by a judgment creditor of a partner, make an order charging that partner’s interest in the partnership property and profits with payment of the judgement debt and...
- Section 44 - Power of Court to make order removing partner or breaking up partnership
(1) The Court may, on the application of any partner, make an order—
(a) removing the partner from the partnership; (b) removing another partner from the partnership; or (c) breaking up the...
- Section 45 - Order to specify date of removal or break up
(1) An order under section 44(1)(a) or (b) shall specify the date a partner ceases to be a partner, which may be any date not earlier than the date on which the applicant became partner.
(2) An...
- Section 46 - Combination orders
(1) An application for an order breaking up a partnership under section 44(1)(c) may include an application for an order under section 50 or 51.
(2) An order under section 44(1)(c) may be combined...
- Section 47 - Court may give directions
(1) The Court may, by an order under section 44, give such directions as it thinks fit for giving effect to the order, including, in particular—
(a) directions as to the rights of a specified...
- Section 48 - Fraud, misrepresentation or non-disclosure
(1) Sections 50 and 51 shall apply, if the ground on which the Court makes an order under section 50 is that of fraud, misrepresentation or non-disclosure by a partner.
(2) Each applicant for the...
- Section 49 - Meaning of “non-disclosure”
In section 48, “non-disclosure” means breach of a duty of disclosure—
(a) under section 9(2)(a) or 10; or
(b) under the default rule in section 15(2)(b) or any substituted provision in the...
- Section 50 - Interim orders
In relation to an application made under section 44(1)(a) or (b), the Court may make an order prohibiting or limiting the extent to which the partner sought to be removed takes part in the partnership...
- Section 51 - Order breaking up partnership on application of the Minister
(1) Where it appears to the Minister that a partnership should be broken up, the Minister may apply to the Court for an Order breaking up the partnership.
(2) On an application tinder subsection...