EDITORIAL: Public interest issues are pivotal to Clover deal
All eyes are on the Competition Commission conditions likely to be attached to the Milco acquisition
As the clock ticks down to the conclusion of international consortium Milco’s acquisition of Clover in May, all eyes are now on the conditions likely to be attached to the transaction. As the outrage that initially met the R4.8bn deal appears to have subsided, the focus now shifts to its shape and form. The transaction elicited strong reaction from the pro-Palestinian lobby group Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions SA (BDS) and trade union Food and Allied Workers’ Union (Fawu) because the consortium is led by Israeli company Central Bottling Company (CBC), owner of the Coca-Cola franchise in Israel. It was this outrage that prompted black-owned and managed investment group Brimstone, the consortium’s SA partner, to walk away from the deal. Brimstone, which was set to own 15% of Clover after the conclusion of the sale, dropped the bombshell several weeks after the deal was announced in early February. Without the benefit of knowing what went on behind the scenes, Brimstone’s decis...
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