KIMBERLEY – In a landmark ruling for the Northern Cape mining sector, the High Court in Kimberley has ordered that Ekapa Minerals (Pty) Ltd be placed under supervision and business rescue, effectively halting the immediate liquidation and total closure of the diamond operation.
The company was placed under provisional liquidation in March following a catastrophic mud rush in February in which five mine workers perished. The liquidation would have been made final in September, but the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) intervened and brought its latest successful application.
The judgment, delivered by Acting Judge T. Tyuthuza on 27 July, marks a significant victory for the union which fought to preserve the…