A Johannesburg high court has ruled that a law firm must refund a R500,000 property deposit withheld for nearly a decade, criticising legal practitioners for employing delaying tactics likened to a 'Stalingrad strategy'.

The judgment by Judge Taki Madima resolved the case of Nomakhosazana Pama-Sihunu, whose family faced eviction after a failed property purchase agreement in 2017.

The couple paid the deposit through their husband’s law firm into a trust account, but the seller cancelled the deal in 2018, leading to prolonged legal battles.

Despite fulfilling all obligations, including securing a bond for the remaining balance, the law firm refused to return the funds, citing unpaid rent and municipal fees.The court dismissed these objections, stating that arrear rental claims were irrelevant to the refund.Judge Madima condemned the legal tactics as 'bad taste', emphasizing that justice should not be stalled by procedural delays.The ruling mandates the law firm to repay the deposit within 24 hours and provide proof of its continued holding.This case highlights systemic issues in property transactions and the misuse of legal procedures to delay accountability.