A case against against the ANC Northern Cape chairperson, John Block’s company, Suid Afrikaanse Soutwerke, and the Department of Minerals and Energy is set to be resolved after the parties opted to settle the matter out of court.

Saamwerke Soutwerke succesfully sued the respondents after claiming they had colluded to exclude their company from benefitting from a salt mine in the Kalahari.

Saamwerke salt mine sued Block’s company, his partners in the venture and as the Department of Minerals and Energy for R35m.

The matter which was postponed on Monday due to a dysfunctional air conditioner, was heard in the Northern Cape High Court yesterday. In 2011 the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein upheld a high court decision which ruled that Block’s company had been mining salt illegally in Upington with forged permits for five years. The company sued for damages incurred during that period.

After two days of cross examination the applicants and the respondents are now set to reconvene on Friday after agreeing to settle the matter out of court.

The applicants submitted that they only started mining in 2011 after they were given mineral rights in 2005. Their action followed a high court ruling in 2011 which found Block guilty of hijacking a salt mine in Upington.

The provincial ANC chairperson, who was a director of the company, operated the mine for five years with a fake permit. Saamwerke Soutwerke co-director Mongile Gubula said the matter had dragged for far too long.

Source: http://www.thenewage.co.za