OPPOSITION grows against the liquidation of Tongaat Hulett as multiple parties prepare to file their arguments in the Durban High Court.

The application to liquidate Tongaat Hulett was filed by Business Rescue Practitioners (BRP) at the Durban High Court.

This was revealed on Friday morning during virtual court proceedings, IOL reported.

The hearing, which was set to unfold at the Durban High Court, could not materialise as some of the intervening parties, who will argue that Tongaat Hulett can still be rescued, needed to file opposing papers, while some had filed theirs late on Thursday. 

As each of the parties needed time to file their opposing papers, answering affidavits, as well as heads of arguments before the hearing, a draft order was prepared and given to Judge Sanele Hlatshwayo ahead of the virtual sitting on Friday. 

Among other things, the draft order set out timelines for papers to be filed. However, during proceedings, it was clear that some parties could not agree on some of the paper filing deadlines, prompting Judge Hlatshwayo to make a ruling. 

 “It appears that if I leave it to the parties, there is not going to be any agreement as far as the timeline is concerned. I would suggest that all the answering papers are to be filed by 5pm on Wednesday, March 4, 2026,” the judge ruled. 

He ordered that business rescuers file their heads on or before March 9, 2026. “And then thereafter, the respondents and intervening parties file their heads of arguments on or before March 12, 2026.”

Within this timeframe, there would also be papers filed for a counter-application that has been brought by the RGS Group.

Judge Hlatshwayo stated: “Accordingly, I would order that the liquidation and counter application are to be set on a date that is arranged with the judge president. I will make the judge president aware of the urgency of the matter. And in fact, either today or on Monday, a date would be made available to the parties.”

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