Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba says R290-million worth of city funds were placed at risk through unsecured lending to cash-strapped state arms firm Denel.
Mashaba said a report tabled before council on Thursday indicated that Gupta-linked associates‚ through Regiments Capital‚ had placed the funds at risk.
Explaining the background to the transaction in a statement‚ he said Denel had‚ in 2013 and 2014‚ issued senior‚ unsecured notes with a maturity date of June 2018.
Regiments Capital‚ in its capacity as managers of the city’s sinking fund‚ purchased notes to the value of R290-million for the fund. The city uses the sinking fund to pay back loans and investments made to it. These amount to more than R18-billion.
Mashaba said in 2012‚ during the tenure of his predecessor‚ Parks Tau‚ Regiments Capital‚ an empowerment firm with links to the Guptas‚ was appointed to manage the sinking fund.
Early in June‚ the city was told by the Department of Public Enterprises‚ in its capacity as the shareholder representative in Denel‚ that Denel was not in a position to settle the notes on the due date because the arms firm had serious liquidity challenges.
After various meetings and the intervention of public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan‚ the city agreed to roll over the investment. This was to prevent Denel from defaulting and give it time to implement a business-rescue strategy to improve its financial situation.
“On the basis of [Gordhan’s] request and in order to protect the city’s investment from capital loss‚ a decision was taken to roll over the investment for the requested period‚” said Mashaba.
The outstanding debt will now have to be settled on December 10. — TimesLIVE
Denel gets breathing space to settle huge debt to City of Johannesburg
Image: File
Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba says R290-million worth of city funds were placed at risk through unsecured lending to cash-strapped state arms firm Denel.
Mashaba said a report tabled before council on Thursday indicated that Gupta-linked associates‚ through Regiments Capital‚ had placed the funds at risk.
Explaining the background to the transaction in a statement‚ he said Denel had‚ in 2013 and 2014‚ issued senior‚ unsecured notes with a maturity date of June 2018.
Regiments Capital‚ in its capacity as managers of the city’s sinking fund‚ purchased notes to the value of R290-million for the fund. The city uses the sinking fund to pay back loans and investments made to it. These amount to more than R18-billion.
Mashaba said in 2012‚ during the tenure of his predecessor‚ Parks Tau‚ Regiments Capital‚ an empowerment firm with links to the Guptas‚ was appointed to manage the sinking fund.
Early in June‚ the city was told by the Department of Public Enterprises‚ in its capacity as the shareholder representative in Denel‚ that Denel was not in a position to settle the notes on the due date because the arms firm had serious liquidity challenges.
After various meetings and the intervention of public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan‚ the city agreed to roll over the investment. This was to prevent Denel from defaulting and give it time to implement a business-rescue strategy to improve its financial situation.
“On the basis of [Gordhan’s] request and in order to protect the city’s investment from capital loss‚ a decision was taken to roll over the investment for the requested period‚” said Mashaba.
The outstanding debt will now have to be settled on December 10. — TimesLIVE
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