Former president Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Zondwa Mandela is to face criminal charges for failing to arrive for an inquiry by the master of the North Gauteng High Court this week, Business Times reported on Sunday.
This is after Johan Engelbrecht, the lead liquidator of Pamodzi Gold assets was quoted saying that they planned to lay the charges in the coming week.
Aurora Empowerment Systems, which was led by Zondwa and President Jacob Zuma’s nephew Khulubuse Zuma, was singled out as the preferred bidder for Pamodzi’s mines when they went into liquidation in 2009.
Its management contract has since been cancelled after the company was accused of destroying infrastructure at the mines and causing the loss of more than 5 300 jobs.
“That [laying criminal charges] will be the first step. The second step is to move part of his [Zondwa’s] testimony to a magistrate’s court so that if he doesn’t pitch the magistrate will have the power to charge him for contempt of court,” Engelbrecht was quoted saying.
The inquiry, which is in line with sections 417 and 418 of the Companies Act, seeks to investigate the conduct of Aurora and its directors and managers after the company took possession of the assets from Pamodzi.
The inquiry is also probing the conclusion of the interim contract and mining agreement between Aurora and liquidators of Pamodzi. — Sapa