ANSWER:
Conduct is defined as a voluntary human act or omission. “Voluntary” means that the person must be able
to control his muscular movements by means of his will. The act of the wrongdoer must be voluntary to
give rise to delictual liability. By raising the defence of automatism, a defendant attempts to show that,
according to the law, he didn’t act. Defendant may argue that the conduct complained of doesn’t satisfy
the requirement of voluntariness. He relies on the defence of automatism-that he acted mechanically.
Conditions that may cause a person to act involuntarily as they render him incapable of controlling his
bodily movements: absolute compulsion (vis absoluta), sleep,unconsciousness, fainting fit, epileptic fit,
serious intoxication, blackout, reflex movements, strong emotional pressure, mental disease, hypnosis,
and a heart attack.
According to Molefe v Mahaeng, the defendant does not bear the onus to prove that he was in a state. Of
so-called sane automatism. The onus is on the plaintiff to prove that the defendant acted. Voluntarily. In
Conduct is defined as a voluntary human act or omission. “Voluntary” means that the person must be able
to control his muscular movements by means of his will. The act of the wrongdoer must be voluntary to
give rise to delictual liability. By raising the defence of automatism, a defendant attempts to show that,
according to the law, he didn’t act. Defendant may argue that the conduct complained of doesn’t satisfy
the requirement of voluntariness. He relies on the defence of automatism-that he acted mechanically.
Conditions that may cause a person to act involuntarily as they render him incapable of controlling his
bodily movements: absolute compulsion (vis absoluta), sleep,unconsciousness, fainting fit, epileptic fit,
serious intoxication, blackout, reflex movements, strong emotional pressure, mental disease, hypnosis,
and a heart attack.
According to Molefe v Mahaeng, the defendant does not bear the onus to prove that he was in a state. Of
so-called sane automatism. The onus is on the plaintiff to prove that the defendant acted. Voluntarily. In
