Johannesburg - The ANCYL declined to comment on Friday on
a report that it had been provisionally liquidated by the South Gauteng High
Court in Johannesburg.
"We only heard about it on Monday. We have no
comment at the moment," said ANC Youth League spokesperson Bandile Masuku.
Asked to confirm the court's order, he said: "I have
seen it in the media, but I have not seen the [court] papers myself."
The BDlive website reported on Friday that the ruling was
made by Acting Judge Tony Mundell on Monday.
In his judgment Mundell reportedly said interested
parties which could show cause why the order should not be made final had until
27 January to make their views known.
"I cannot close my eyes to the proud role that the
respondent [the ANCYL] has played in the political and cultural life of this
country, both historically and currently," Mundell was quoted as saying.
"Its close association with the ANC and the interest
that the governing party has in the proper functioning and administration of
the ANCYL are also issues that weighed with me.
"I have, in these circumstances, come to the
conclusion that justice will be more appropriately served by the grant of a
provisional winding-up order, which will entitle interested parties to advance
their views, if any, on the return day."
R15m bill outstanding
The ANCYL has been accused of failing to pay Z2 Presentations,
trading as University Events Management (UEM), nearly R15m for its national
congress in the Free State in 2008, when its since expelled leader Julius
Malema was elected.
The sheriff reportedly twice tried to seize ANCYL assets,
but found there were none.
In a previous answering affidavit, ANC Secretary General
Gwede Mantashe said the ANCYL had no assets and no funds to be liquidated to
pay its outstanding debts.
Dirk Vetten, for UEM, told the court in June that his
clients decided to bring an application for both the winding-up of the ANCYL
and its sequestration.
The affidavit for sequestration was submitted late in the
filing of papers.
Winding-up is the process of dissolving a company, during
which its assets are collected and debts are paid off, either out of the assets
or from contributions by its members, if necessary.
Sequestration is the surrendering of an estate by a
person, a process which is instituted by a court to help people who are no
longer able to pay their debts because of uncontrollable circumstances.
