IN GOOD FAITH
CARMEL RICKARD: Rare win over graft
It took years for Saamwerk Saltworks to get justice in its fight against SA Saltworks, which was mining in the Northern Cape with a forged permit
There is a good deal more than a pinch of salt involved in the dispute between two mining companies operating in the Northern Cape. For Saamwerk Saltworks it has been a long fight to get justice against SA Saltworks and its directors, including disgraced ANC strongman John Block, after it was proved that the company was operating on a forged permit. So far the courts have issued at least five full judgments on aspects of the dispute. The latest, by the supreme court of appeal, allows Saamwerk to obtain some restitution. The judges set aside a decision of the high court, and found that SA Saltworks must pay Saamwerk whatever damages it can prove it suffered through being prevented from mining between September 2008 and June 2011. Saamwerk originally claimed damages from an earlier date, but the court said this portion of the claim had prescribed. Though the company must now re-evaluate its claim, it could be well over R30m.The outcome will be good news for Saamwerk, as the national p...
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