Business Report writes that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) plans to urge Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan to fast-track the sale of the Gupta-linked Optimum and Koornfontein mines.  

NUM president Joseph Montisetse indicated on Wednesday that the union, together with labour federation Cosatu, was scheduled to meet Gordhan next week to put pressure on the Eskom board to lead the sale to finality.  State-owned power utility Eskom is Optimum's biggest creditor, having submitted claims of R5.1 billion to the mines.  “We're hoping that the bidders of the two mines will be given the go-ahead to run with the mine.  The meeting is important to unlock the process.  Our members and former mine workers are suffering while unemployment has rocketed,” said Montisetse.  The NUM previously said it had pinned its hopes on the state-owned African Exploration Mining Finance Corporation acquiring Optimum.  Business rescue practitioners advised that they had appointed GoIndustry DoveBid and Park Village Auction to facilitate the sales process for the assets, which had left thousands jobless after going bust at the height of state capture.  GoIndustry DoveBid said it was in the process of scrutinising eight bidders.  Montisetse said the union would also use the meeting to call on Gordhan to address the crisis at Eskom after it announced a record R20.7bn loss in the year to March 2019.

• Read the full original of the above report by Dineo Faku at Business Report

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