Pretoria - The application by five directors of mining company Aurora Empowerment Systems for leave to appeal a ruling that they be held personally liable for damages of R1.5 billion was dismissed in the high court in Pretoria on Friday.
This meant the June 25 ruling by Judge Eberhard Bertelsmann stands.
Bertelsmann had found in favour of the liquidators of the Pamodzi Gold mines in Gauteng and North West who demanded that the five directors, which include the President’s nephew Khulubuse Zuma and former president Nelson Mandela’s grandson Zondwa, be held responsible for damage to the mine.
The Pamodzi liquidators were claiming for damages on behalf of workers and other debtors who were affected by the asset stripping of the mines.
In 2009, Aurora were given permission to operate two Pamodzi mines in Gauteng and the North West province, but after the company failed to find funding, the directors allegedly started stripping assets at the mines.
The move cost over 5 000 workers their jobs.
AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY