ANCYL faces another liquidation case

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Gallagher Convention Centre has asked the High Court in Johannesburg to place the ANC Youth League under final liquidation or provisionally sequestrate it, according to court papers.

Atterbell Investments, trading as Gallagher Estate, said the ANCYL owed it more than R4 million from four events at the centre in June 2011.

The four events were a cocktail function, the ANCYL's national congress, a report-back function and a backroom function.

"The respondent [ANCYL] is truly and lawfully indebted to the applicant [Gallagher] in the total amount of R4,814,553.60, plus interest thereon calculated from approximately mid June 2011 to date of payment, plus legal costs," the company said in court papers.

The ANCYL on Friday said it was aware of the claim.

"The NTT [national task team] will be sending representatives on Tuesday, 29 April 2014 to meet with the representatives of Atterbell Investments (PTY) Ltd t/a Gallagher Estate including its CEO in a bid to amicably resolve the matter in question," the league said in a statement.

According to an affidavit by the convention centre's chief executive Adolf Venter, a default judgment was handed down on the matter in September 2011.

"The default judgment... arose from the respondent's failure to pay the applicant the balance due to it in respect of four function/catering agreements concluded in writing between the applicant and the respondent."

A writ was executed by the Sheriff of the Court on April 11 this year at the ANC's headquarters, Luthuli House in Johannesburg.

It was served on the league's convenor Mzwandile Masina's personal assistant.

"[The assistant] advised the sheriff that the [ANCYL] was unable to satisfy the writ nor had any disposable assets/property to satisfy the writ and that all assets at Luthuli House belonged to the African National Congress," according to the affidavit.

The ANCYL's failure to pay the outstanding debt constituted a failure to satisfy the solvency and liquidity test as provided for in the Companies Act.

"In the circumstances it is submitted that the respondent is, at the very least, commercially insolvent as it is unable to pay its debts as envisaged in terms of section 345(1)(b) of the [act] and thus falls to be wound-up... [or] alternatively, provisionally sequestrated as envisaged in terms of section 10 of the Insolvency Act," Gallagher Convention Centre said in its papers.

In March, another liquidation case against the youth league was settled out of court.

High Court Judge Phillip Boruchowitz had discharged the provisional liquidation order made in November last year.

The original liquidation order against the league was applied for by Bloemfontein events company Z2 Presentations, who had originally been tasked with running the ANCYL's 2008 national conference in the Free State.

The conference left the company R15 million out of pocket after the league did not pay its bill.

A hotel, trading as Palanquin Hospitality Management and based in Bloemfontein, claimed R1.5m from the ANCYL, lawyer Steven van Rensburg said during a new application brought to court in January.

Palanquin, which is in liquidation, provided accommodation for the conference delegates.


Source : Sapa /gq/jje/dm
Date : 25 Apr 2014 15:33
 
Does the ANCYL have any assets that can be attached or is their parent body who will carry they burden to repay these debts?
 
Does the ANCYL have any assets that can be attached or is their parent body who will carry they burden to repay these debts?

Judging by their utter lack of integrity, they'll just liquidate the ANCYL, and start a new one the next day and call it the ANCYL. *Poof* all debts gone and business as usual.
 
Is it not possible for shares in a company to be confiscated to recover debt?

ANCYL, has no physical assets yes, but I remember they had an investment holdings company
 
Judging by their utter lack of integrity, they'll just liquidate the ANCYL, and start a new one the next day and call it the ANCYL. *Poof* all debts gone and business as usual.

Hopefully it isn't as easy as that.

Is it not possible for shares in a company to be confiscated to recover debt?

ANCYL, has no physical assets yes, but I remember they had an investment holdings company

I do hope that they are able to recover the finances they lost. At the very least they should be prevent from "trading" again in the same name.
 
Not sure how the ANCYL is structured but directors can be sued in their personal capacity if they were found negligent. I would be interested to know if they could use the same company name again through a new business.
 
the ANCYL's largest asset is the rights to its branding

if the parent body fails to pay up somebody else could buy it and make life difficult for the ANC ...
 
Not sure how the ANCYL is structured but directors can be sued in their personal capacity if they were found negligent. I would be interested to know if they could use the same company name again through a new business.

ANCYL is a voluntary association not a company so there aren't directors. The office bearers are dealt with in the associations constitution and generally it will not happen that the office bearers will be liable unless they stood for same when the credit was taken.
 
and who was running the show during that period?
 
ANCYL is a voluntary association not a company so there aren't directors. The office bearers are dealt with in the associations constitution and generally it will not happen that the office bearers will be liable unless they stood for same when the credit was taken.

Thank you, I need to read up on those acts again. Sounds like they could get off with nothing even if they mismanaged everything.
 
the ANCYL's largest asset is the rights to its branding

if the parent body fails to pay up somebody else could buy it and make life difficult for the ANC ...

ANCYL is a voluntary association not a company so there aren't directors. The office bearers are dealt with in the associations constitution and generally it will not happen that the office bearers will be liable unless they stood for same when the credit was taken.

Thank you, Paul. This is an interesting situation. Given that there are millions involved, it is unlikely that this will b e swept under a "rug".
 
There is so much wrong in the liquidation application its scary. Using a section 345 letter of demand against a voluntary association? Applying the solvency and liquidity test against a voluntary association?

Much lols had reading that.
 
There is so much wrong in the liquidation application its scary. Using a section 345 letter of demand against a voluntary association? Applying the solvency and liquidity test against a voluntary association?

Much lols had reading that.
The application has been filed at court? So it is a public document
Any ability to get it uploaded.

Unfortunately the voluntary association issue seems to bring with it more complications than it should - http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/573079-ANCYL-Liquidation-decision-flawed
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/536389-Article-No-law-to-liquidate-ANCYL
and you probably have wilful stupidity at play confusing people

A respondent who can confuse an applicant in advance of launching an application has half won the battle :(
 
The application has been filed at court? So it is a public document
Any ability to get it uploaded.

I am not aware, and don't have it. I don't doubt that a voluntary association can be liquidated subject to the Insolvency Act, but I don't think company law has any relevance.
 
There is not Act regulating voluntary associations...

The Insolvency Act :D

I really don't know how the National Credit Act kicks into things though - because office bearers signing surety etc ... would invoke the NCA

[The Insolvency Act regulates voluntary associations of the ANCYL nature because that is what they are .... ;)
Of course the definition in the Insolvency Act makes it clear that an association of persons is wound up under the laws relating to companies - which makes sense]
 
I am not aware, and don't have it. I don't doubt that a voluntary association can be liquidated subject to the Insolvency Act, but I don't think company law has any relevance.

Not the tests and so on but the premise of judicial winding up is more apposite than the surrendering of an estate
 
The Insolvency Act :D

I really don't know how the National Credit Act kicks into things though - because office bearers signing surety etc ... would invoke the NCA

[The Insolvency Act regulates voluntary associations of the ANCYL nature because that is what they are .... ;)
Of course the definition in the Insolvency Act makes it clear that an association of persons is wound up under the laws relating to companies - which makes sense]

What I meant was that there isn't any Act regulating the affairs of a voluntary association, like the Companies Act.

Speaking glibly, it doesn't quite make sense because companies face vastly different issues.


Not the tests and so on but the premise of judicial winding up is more apposite than the surrendering of an estate

I agree. My issue with is the application of the S+L test.

Interesting to see how this is regulated in the "forthcoming" new Insolvency Act...
 
I know - VAs should really self-regulate under their constitution and the common law is broad enough to cover them, but the YL etc ... are always insolvent :)

I am very anxious about the "forthcoming" Insolvency Act

Speaking glibly companies are a different animal but in terms of the idea of personality a VA is not a natural person is it is imperative that liquidation must be a winding up rather than a surrendering of the estate and sequestration. Insolvency should be the "death" of an association
Actually the best place to cover VA winding up should probably be in the legislation for Co-Ops
 
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