"This has restored our faith in the legal system," Gideon du
Plessis, who heads the Solidarity trade union, told Talk Radio 702.
South Africa's appeals court dismissed an application by relatives of Nelson Mandela and President Jacob Zuma
to overturn a ruling that they must pay damages for stripping the
assets of mines they ran, news agency EWN reported on Thursday.
In
June 2015 a court ruled that the directors and associates involved in
Aurora Empowerment Systems should pay shareholders and liquidators 1.7
billion rand ($113 million) compensation for their role in the demise of
the operations, which left thousands of workers jobless and destitute.
Zondwa
Mandela -- a grandson of the late anti-apartheid hero -- and Zuma's
nephew Khulubuse, were directors of Aurora, appointed in 2009 to manage
two gold mines near Johannesburg after the Pamodzi Gold company which they ran went into liquidation.
"This has restored our faith in the legal system," Gideon du Plessis, who heads the Solidarity trade union, told Talk Radio 702.
The
appeals court ruled that if the associates of Aurora do not pay they
will be sequestrated, which means their personal assets could be set
aside to pay off creditors, EWN reported.
Khulubuse Zuma's lawyer, Vuyo Mkhize, said he could take the matter to the Constitutional Court, EWN reported.
Aurora's
acquisition of the mines was held up in the media as an example of how
well-connected members of the political elite often get preferential
treatment in Africa's most advanced economy.
($1 = 15.0435 rand)
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