[miningmx.com] — IMPERIAL Crown Trading 289 (ICT) on Friday accused Kumba Iron Ore of “planting’ the forged documents found as part of ICT’s application for the 21.4% prospecting right in Sishen mine.
In a sworn affidavit, ICT CEO Phemelo Sehunelo said Godfrey Mfetoane, a former employee at the department of mineral resources (DMR), allegedly planted the documents when he visited the department’s Kimberley offices to lodge an objection against ICT’s application.
The affidavit formed part of ICT’s response in Kumba’s High Court bid to have the rights awarded to Sehunelo’s company set aside. The company has strong ties to family members and close friends of President Jacob Zuma.
In the affidavit, Sehunelo also explained how we came to the knowledge that ArcelorMittal SA – which held the 21.4% right previously – failed to reapply for the stake. All mineral rights would’ve expired at midnight on April 30 2009 if the owners had not applied for a conversion.
Sehunelo said the deputy manager of the department’s Kimberley office, Hennie van Rensburg, told him on April 29 and 30 that Amsa had not submitted an application, after which ICT decided the press ahead with an application on its own.
Van Rensburg died of a heart attack in August, about a week before Kumba made its court application to have ICT’s rights set aside.
The iron ore giant argued that ICT forged crucial parts of the application which Kumba submitted, saying ICT’s application contained the signatures and stamps in title deeds which Kumba used.
On the contrary, Sehunelo said he and other ICT shareholders worked ceaselessly over the weekend of April 30 to May 4 to have an application ready.
He fetched copies of the title deeds for inclusion in the application from the Vryburg Deeds office on the morning of May 4 himself, according to the affidavit.
Mfetoane, who at that stage acted as a consultant, submitted Kumba’s application to the same office and asked an official to stamp the document May 1; the first day on which one could apply for the expired rights, according to the DMR’s court response which was submitted in January.
– Sake24
