EWN reports that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has fears about the stripping of assets at the Gupta-owned Optimum coal mine in Mpumalanga amid ongoing attempts to stop the state from seizing control over it.
The NPA told Parliament's Justice Committee on Monday that it was also disappointed by the role of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in trying to block attempts to seize the proceeds of corruption. The NPA was granted am order freezing the assets of the Gupta-owned mine in March. But the next step in the process to recover assets linked to state capture is apparently being thwarted by the business rescue practitioners (BRPs) who have controlled the mine since 2018. Head of the Asset Forfeiture Unit, Ouma Rabaji-Rasethaba, said the NUM was also stalling matters. "For them to now turn back and oppose the application, it's not in accordance with the initial stance they've taken. This matter is something that can be flagged with Congress of South African Trade Unions in terms of these contradictory positions that we find," he told MPs. Rabaji-Rasethaba said small pit mining at the mine impacted the curator's ability to preserve the assets at the operation. "We are headed for a full-blown fight with the BRPs because we are now concerned with the erosion of value," he stated. It's estimated that small pit operators have earned R6 billion from contract mining.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lindsay Dentlinger at EWN
- Read too, NPA gearing up for fight over contract miners at former Gupta-owned mine Optimum, at News24
- And also, Optimum Coal Mine’s value is being eroded, NPA says, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page