Telkom has denied allegations that it embarked on a share buy-back programme early this year to artificially boost its share price and secure a cushioned exit for its strategic equity partner, Thintana.
This week questions were asked in Parliament about Telkom ”ramping” its share price.
This followed the spectacular surge in the utility’s share value over the year, and allegations in the investigative journal noseweek, among other sources, that this had resulted from Telkom buying its own shares.
The controversy over the buy-back was heightened by the announcement that Thintana was selling its remaining 15% shares in Telkom to an empowerment consortium.
The allegations about Thintana benefiting from a ”ramped” share price relate mainly to its disposal, in June, of an initial 15%.
The buy-back was undertaken through two shelf-subsidiaries of Telkom, Rossal 65 and Acajou, in two separate instances in March and June respectively.
Share buy-backs are normally used as a capital management exercise, such as getting rid of excess capital.
Belinda Williams, investor relations manager at Telkom, confirmed to the Mail & Guardian that the company bought back 22-million of its own shares, for an average price of R76,74, for R1,7-billion.
This represents 4% of Telkom’s issued share capital. The buy-back, authorised at an annual general meeting in January, allows Telkom to buy up to 20% of its shares during the course of this year.
Williams said Telkom had simultaneously requested a resolution at its January annual general meeting to put in place a staff share scheme for its employees.
The first three million of these shares have been allocated, and fall due in between two and three years’ time, while the last tranche will be allocated in five years.
About a third of the repurchased shares have gone to the ownership scheme, with the balance earmarked for cancellation.
Telkom’s CEO, Sizwe Nxasana, told MPs in Parliament’s communica- tions committee this week that there was ”nothing untoward” in his company’s policy, as it increased the value of the remaining shares for all shareholders.
Challenged by opposition Inkatha Freedom Party MP Suzanne Vos about his company ”ramping up” the share price through the buy-backs, Nxasana said there was ”nothing wrong with that”.
He said if the company was generating cash and paid dividends, it would attract secondary tax on companies, which stood at 12.5%.
”Buying back shares is a more effective way of returning cash to shareholders,” he said.
Thintana sold its first 15% on the market in June to qualified institutional buyers for R6-billion.
It sold at R73 a share, significantly higher than when Telkom, which was effectively controlled by Thintana, started the buy-back.
This week Telkom’s share price reached a new high of R95 a share before slipping back slightly.