The assets of mines owned by stricken Aurora Empowerment Systems are being inspected and sale negotiations opened, the joint provisional liquidators said on Wednesday.
“(We) are, at present, in negotiations with various parties with the view of concluding an agreement for the sale of the assets in such a manner as to optimise the benefit for all creditors,” spokesman Johan Engelbrecht said in a statement.
The creditors included organised labour.
The contents of Pamodzi Gold Orkney and Pamodzi Gold East Rand were being inspected to determine whether Aurora had restored the mine sites and to assess any damages incurred to assets.
Engelbrecht said any interested parties were invited to make “bona fide and substantial offers”.
An offer by Aurora to purchase the assets, conditional upon Aurora obtaining the necessary financing, had not been rejected.
A high court gave Aurora until August 16 to produce funding guarantees.
On Friday Aurora and potential Chinese investor Shandong Gold cancelled a meeting with Pamodzi. It was unclear whether Shandong was still interested in investing in Aurora.
Last week, Gavin Gainsford and Enver Motala were removed from the group of six liquidators jointly appointed to manage the assets of Pamodzi Gold mines in Springs, on the East Rand; and Orkney, in the North West. They were removed by the justice department to “safeguard the integrity of the liquidation process”, its spokesman Tlali Tlali said at the time.
On Monday the four remaining liquidators - Engelbrecht, Allan Pellow, Barend Peterson and Deon Botha - ordered Aurora to vacate the premises.
Pamodzi went into liquidation in 2009, after which the liquidators accepted a R600 million bid by Aurora for the mines. Aurora Empowerment Systems - headed by former president Nelson Mandela's grandson Zondwa, and President Jacob Zuma's nephew Khulubuse - reportedly failed to pay miners and allegedly stripped the mines' assets. -
Sapa