Mining Weekly reports that the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) announced on Thursday that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) would start its prosecution of the former directors of Aurora Empowerment Systems on 28 May.
A summons had been issued in March related to environmental and water transgressions at the failed Grootvlei mine, near Springs, in the Upper Vaal Management Area. The former directors facing prosecution are Khulubuse Zuma, Zondwa Mandela, Thulani Ngubane and Raja Alam Shah. “The mismanagement and looting of the mine by its directors led to the collapse of the mine, leaving 5,300 mineworkers unemployed. The Grootvlei looting included the removal of pumps essential for controlling acid mine drainage into Gauteng’s water sources, resulting in uncontrolled spillage into the Blesbokspruit waterbody, which drains into the Vaal river,” Outa indicated. The directors might be liable to a fine or be sentenced to a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years, or both, said Outa’s chief legal officer Advocate Stefanie Fick. The decision to prosecute was taken following two years of engagement between Outa and the NPA.
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