Urgent Aurora application struck off the roll

A desperate bid by embattled mining aspirant Aurora Empowerment Systems to have its liquidation order overturned drew a blank on Friday.

The politically connected company, whose directors include Zondwa Mandela, former President Nelson Mandela's son, President Jacob Zuma's nephew Khulubuse Zuma, and the president's personal lawyer Michael Hulley, filed an urgent application at the South Gauteng High Court to have the liquidation order rescinded but the judge struck the matter off the roll.

On getting wind that Aurora might bring the application, trade union Solidarity, through its legal representative John Walker, wrote to the company's lawyer Ahmed Rashid Amod enquiring about the possibility of the legal action. However, Amod denied this.

In a letter dated October 19, Amod wrote advising that the application for rescission had not been launched.

But on Thursday Amod advised Walker that there was such an application.

The court ruled that Aurora had breached the court rules and there was no need for the matter to be heard urgently.

Aurora faces close to R1-billion in liquidation claims from the liquidators for damages it has allegedly caused.

Solidarity is claiming about R4.6-million in unpaid salaries. The union is also busy quantifying another amount for the non-payment of workers' severance packages when they were retrenched.