10. BREACH
Should a Party breach a material term of this Agreement (other than one which contains its own remedies or limits remedies in the event of a breach thereof) and fail to remedy same within 30 days of receipt of written notice requiring it to do so and warning that if it is not remedied the other Party may exercise its rights in terms hereof, then the other Party shall be entitled without notice, in addition to any other remedy available to it at law or herein (including an interdict), to cancel this Agreement or claim specific performance of any obligation (whether or not the due date thereof has arrived), in either event without prejudice to the other Party’s right to claim damages or losses. If the breach is not capable of being remedied, it shall be deemed to have been remedied (without prejudice to the other party’s right to claim damages or losses) provided that the party in breach has caused it to cease within the period aforesaid.
11. EVENTS OF DEFAULT
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein contained, if a Party: commits an act which is or would be an act of insolvency in terms of Section 8 of the Insolvency Act, 1936 (if committed by a natural person); or, commences business rescue proceedings, is provisionally or finally liquidated, is removed from the company register, takes steps for its voluntary winding up, or, is placed in any similar or replacement regime covered by South African insolvency law; or, compromises or attempts to compromise or defer payment of any debt owing to its creditors generally or to any class of its creditors; or, allows a judgement against it to remain unsatisfied for 30 days, unless it takes steps to rescind or appeal the judgement within that period; or, disposes of all or a material portion of its assets or undertaking or ceases (including if cessation seems likely) to conduct its business; or, in any way encumbers or hypothecates a material portion of its assets, then, the other Party shall be entitled, but not obliged, to terminate this Agreement at any time upon written notice to that effect.
12. FORCE MAJEURE
12.1. If vis major or force majeure or casus fortuitus (“Force Majeure”) cause delays in or any failure of performance by a Party of any of its obligations, the affected part of this Agreement shall be suspended for the period during which the Force Majeure prevails, but if it affects a material part of the Agreement it shall be suspended for a maximum period of 120 days after which any affected Party shall be entitled on 30 days’ written notice to cancel this Agreement. Written notice of a Force Majeure event stating its nature and date of commencement shall be dispatched by the Party seeking to rely on it (on whom the onus shall rest) as soon as reasonably possible after its commencement. Written notice of cessation of a Force Majeure event shall be given by the Party who relied on it, within 5 days after such cessation. The Party whose performance is interrupted by Force Majeure shall be entitled to extend the period of this Agreement by a period equal to the time that its performance is so prevented.
12.2. For the purposes hereof, vis major and force majeure include acts or omissions of any government, government agency, provincial or local or similar authority (but, where Client is an organ/body of state, specifically excluding Client’s acts or omissions which are not the exercise of executive government powers), civil strife, riots, sabotage, insurrection, acts of war or public enemy, illegal strikes, combination of workmen, interruption of transport, lockouts, interruption of essential services from public utilities (including electricity, water and sewerage), prohibition of exports, inability on Cquential’s part due to Force Majeure to obtain goods or services from its suppliers (including telecommunications suppliers), rationing of supplies, flood, storm, fire or any other circumstances (without limitation eiusdem generis) beyond the reasonable control of the Party claiming Force Majeure and comprehended in the term Force Majeure.
13. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
13.1. Prior to initiating any other resolution process, the Parties shall attempt to resolve disputes arising from this Agreement informally and in good faith. Either Party may refer any dispute arising, to the Parties’ chief executive officers by simultaneous written notice to them at the Parties’ addresses in clause 14.1. For a period of up to 7 days, the Parties’ chief executive officers (or their nominees) (“Executives”) shall meet and attempt to resolve the dispute informally.
13.2. If the Parties fail to resolve the dispute within that period it may be submitted to arbitration, in accordance with the rules of the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa by an arbitrator or arbitrators nominated by it, on written demand by either Party. The place of the arbitration shall be Sandton, Johannesburg.
13.3. The provisions of this clause constitute an irrevocable consent by the Parties to any proceedings in terms hereof and neither Party shall be entitled to withdraw therefrom or claim at any such proceedings that it is not bound by such provisions.
13.4. This clause shall not preclude either Party from obtaining interim relief on an urgent basis from a court of competent jurisdiction pending the decision of the arbitrator.
13.5. This clause 13 is severable from the rest of this Agreement and shall remain in effect after termination of this Agreement for any reason.
14. DOMICILIUM CITANDI ET EXECUTANDI
14.1. The Parties choose as their domicilia citandi et executandi for all purposes in terms of this Agreement, including court process, notices or other documents or communications of whatever nature, their respective addresses described on the Proposal. Any notice or communication required or permitted to be given in terms of this Agreement shall be valid and effective only if in writing. Either Party may by notice change its physical address to another physical address in the RSA, or its postal address or its fax number, which change shall be effective on the 5th Business Day from deemed receipt of the notice by the other Party. Unless the contrary is proved, a notice to a Party –
14.1.1. delivered by hand to a responsible person during business hours at its physical address, is deemed to be received on date of delivery;
14.1.2. sent by prepaid registered post to its postal address (airmail if appropriate), is deemed to be received on the 7th day after posting.
14.2. Notwithstanding the aforegoing, a written notice or communication actually received by a Party shall be an adequate written notice or communication to it notwithstanding that it was not sent to or delivered at its chosen domicilium citandi et executandi.
15. ACCESSION, ASSIGNMENT AND SUB-CONTRACTING
Client shall not cede, delegate, assign or in any other manner dispose of any of its rights or obligations arising out of this Agreement without the prior written approval of Cquential. Cquential may sub-contract its obligations under this Agreement provided that such sub-contracting does not change Cquential’s obligations to Client.
16. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION
16.1. This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the RSA and all disputes, actions and other matters relating to his Agreement shall be determined in accordance with such laws. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods is excluded.
16.2. Subject to clause 13, the Parties agree that to the extent that any court has jurisdiction over any matter arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, such matter shall be brought in the South Gauteng High Court of South Africa (or its successor), and they irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of such court.
17. GENERAL
17.1. Any illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision in this Agreement shall be ineffective to the extent of its prohibition or unenforceability and be treated pro non scripto and severed from the balance of this Agreement, without invalidating the remaining provisions of this Agreement.
17.2. This Agreement constitutes the whole agreement between the Parties relating to its subject matter and replaces, supersedes and cancels, with effect from the Date of Signature, any other agreements (written or oral) in force between the Parties relating to its subject matter.
17.3. No amendment or consensual cancellation of this Agreement or any of its provisions or terms or of any agreement or other document or instrument issued or executed pursuant to or in terms hereof and no settlement of any disputes arising out of this Agreement and no extension of time, waiver or relaxation or suspension of any of the provisions or terms of this Agreement or of any agreement or other document or instrument issued pursuant to or in terms hereof shall be binding unless recorded in writing and signed by the Parties (or in the case of an extension of time, waiver or relaxation or suspension, signed by the Party granting same).
17.4. No terms or conditions contained in any proposal, quotation, delivery note, invoice, statement or like documents between the Parties, whether exchanged on or subsequent to the Date of Signature, and whether signed by one or both of the Parties, shall in any way amend, novate or supersede the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement.
17.5. Client acknowledges that Cquential in the normal course of carrying on its business, intercepts and monitors all usage of Cquential’s e-mail, fax, Internet, phone and other forms of communication and the Cquential Systems. Client hereby consents (and shall procure its Staff’s consent) to the interception and monitoring by Cquential, for legal purposes, of any communication made by Client or its Staff using Cquential’s e-mail, fax, Internet, phone or other forms of communication and the Cquential Systems.
17.6. Neither Party shall, during or within 24 months after expiration or termination of this Agreement, solicit for employment, directly or indirectly, any person who was a member of the other Party’s Staff during the term of this Agreement and who was directly involved with any activity relating to this Agreement, without the prior written consent of the other Party
17.7. For the term of this Agreement and 6 months thereafter, neither Party shall make or issue, directly or indirectly, any formal, informal, public or private announcement, advertisement or statement in connection with this Agreement or its negotiations without the prior written consent of the other Party. This shall not apply in respect of any announcement, advertisement or statement to the extent required by law or published regulations of the JSE Limited applicable to corporate bodies in general.
17.8. Any extension of time or waiver or relaxation of any of the provisions or terms of this Agreement or any agreement or other document or instrument issued or executed pursuant to or in terms hereof, shall be strictly construed as relating strictly to the matter in respect whereof it was made or given, shall not operate as an estoppel against any Party in respect of its rights in terms of this Agreement, and, shall not operate so as to preclude such Party thereafter from exercising its rights strictly in accordance with this Agreement.
17.9. No failure or delay on the part of a Party in exercising any right, power or privilege in terms of this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.
17.10. The Parties’ relationship shall be governed by this Agreement. Nothing herein shall be deemed to constitute any Party the partner or agent or legal representative of the other. It is not the Parties’ intention to create nor shall this Agreement be construed to create any commercial or other partnership. Neither Party shall have any authority to act for or assume any obligation or responsibility on behalf of the other Party nor hold itself out as partner or agent of the other Party.
17.11. Each Party shall bear and pay its own costs of or incidental to the drafting, preparation and execution of this Agreement.