Guptas' Optimum Coal Mine fails to pay builder of public health clinic
Optimum’s mining rights depend on it fulfilling its social and labour obligations in terms of the Mining Charter, and by not paying‚ it risks losing its mining rights
Optimum Coal Mine has failed to pay a R4.2m invoice to a company contracted to build a new state-of-the-art public health clinic. The Gupta-family-owned Optimum is the company at the centre of the public protector’s State of Capture report. Optimum owns a coal-mine in Hendrina‚ Mpumalanga. Its mining rights are dependent on fulfilling its social and labour commitments in terms of the Mining Charter. By failing to pay for the new clinic‚ Optimum is at risk of losing its mining rights. And‚ following litigation launched in the Gauteng High Court‚ Optimum is also at risk of being liquidated. In December 2015‚ Optimum hired Re-Action Consulting to manage the construction of a new 24-hour clinic for Kwazamokuhle in Hendrina. The cost of the contract was R17.2m‚ to be paid in three tranches. The project was part of Optimum’s social and labour plan that companies with mining rights are legally obliged to implement. At the time‚ Optimum‚ a supplier of coal to Eskom‚ was owned by Glencore‚ a...
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