Municipal Liability and Trip Hazards: Schaefer v City of Cape Town
08 October 2025, Hesri Eloff
The
Western Cape High Court’s decision in Schaefer v City of Cape Town
[2025] ZAWCHC 46 reaffirms the limits of... municipal liability in slip-and-trip
cases. The judgment examined wrongfulness, negligence, contributory negligence,
and policy considerations, ultimately dismissing a damages claim brought after
the plaintiff tripped on a raised paving brick. The court held that the City
was neither wrongful nor negligent.