The Tongaat Maidstone Mill reopened for the sugar cane crushing season.
Image: Tongaat Civic Association
After months of uncertainty, the Tongaat Maidstone Mill reopened for the sugar cane season this week.
In commemoration of its reopening, a prayer was held at the mill on Thursday.
Tongaat Hulett Limited, established 134 years ago, faced financial issues and announced its decision to seek provisional liquidation after its business rescue plan failed.
In February, the company's Business Rescue Practitioners announced that after exhausting all reasonable endeavours following a lapsed sales agreement, they had applied to the high court to discontinue the company’s business rescue proceedings and place it under liquidation.
The matter is expected to be heard in court on June 17.
However, last month the mill's reopening was announced for May 27, but it officially opened on Wednesday.
Pratish Sharma, a fourth-generation sugar farmer and a director of the SA Canegrowers Association, said he was overjoyed after learning the mill would reopen early.
“We were told that it would only open on May 27, but we received the good news last week that they had completed their maintenance early. It was a good surprise. We have already started harvesting our sugar cane.
“However, there is some concern as the application for the liquidation is still to be heard in court. But with the mill now opened, we hope the court will be less inclined to grant the application,” he said.
Harold Maistry, chairperson of the Tongaat Civic Association, said the Hindu prayer conducted at the opening of the crushing season was a tradition that started when the mill was built more than 120 years ago.
“It honours the labour of local farmers and mill workers, while also praying for their safety and success. This year it was also a celebration of the facility's recent reopening and continued role in the KwaZulu-Natal economy. The prayer is conducted by staff and local priests.”
Maistry said the mill's reopening brought a wave of cautious optimism and immense relief to the community of Tongaat.
“For the roughly 27,000 small-scale sugar cane farmers, local transport operators and mill workers facing the threat of prolonged closures and Tongaat Hulett's provisional liquidation, the resumption of crushing represents a critical lifeline.
“However, the mill must innovate and modernise to avoid repeating the cycle of collapse caused by historic financial mismanagement. There also needs to be transparency,” he said.