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South Africa Order

Competition Tribunal

: Small Enterprise Finance Agency (Ltd) (CT009June2015), Ex parte [2015] ZACT 63 (1 July 2015)

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Source document

01

Holding and result

The Tribunal found that the applicant provided satisfactory reasons for not being able to hold its AGM within the statutory 15-month period. The need to allow the Minister of Small Business Development time to consider appointments to the Board and Audit Committee constitutes good cause. Accordingly, the Tribunal granted the extension, permitting the AGM to be held on or before 25 August 2015.

Court disposition

Application for extension to convene AGM later than the statutory period is granted.

Orders

  • The applicant's application for an extension to convene its AGM later than the stipulated 15 months is granted.
  • The applicant must convene its AGM of shareholders on or before 25 August 2015.

02

Material facts

Parties

Small Enterprise Finance Agency (Ltd)

Applicant

03

Procedural history

  1. Posture

    Ex Parte Application / Decision

04

Questions and positions

Legal issues

Party arguments

Applicant
The applicant, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Industrial Development Corporation Limited, seeks an extension to hold its AGM beyond the statutory 15-month period. The Board resolved to apply for this extension to allow the Minister of Small Business Development sufficient time to consider the appointment of a new Board of Directors and Audit Committee, as required by the Memorandum of Incorporation. The AGM will be held on or before 25 August 2015 if relief is granted.

05

Court’s reasoning

  1. 01

    Companies Act 71 of 2008, section 61(7)(b)

    A public company must convene an annual general meeting of its shareholders no more than 15 months after the previous AGM, unless an extension is granted by the Companies Tribunal on good cause shown.

06

Ratio, limits and disposition

Ratio decidendi

The Tribunal found that the applicant provided satisfactory reasons for not being able to hold its AGM within the statutory 15-month period. The need to allow the Minister of Small Business Development time to consider appointments to the Board and Audit Committee constitutes good cause. Accordingly, the Tribunal granted the extension, permitting the AGM to be held on or before 25 August 2015.

Court disposition

Application for extension to convene AGM later than the statutory period is granted.

  • The applicant's application for an extension to convene its AGM later than the stipulated 15 months is granted.
  • The applicant must convene its AGM of shareholders on or before 25 August 2015.

Source and reliance status

Competition Tribunal

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Judgment reading view

Judgment text

The complete available source text.

Source document

Competition Tribunal

Order

[2015] ZACT 63

IN

THE COMPANIES TRIBUNAL OF SOUTH AFRICA ,

PRETORIA

CASE NO: CT009JUNE2015

In the ex-parte application of

Small Enterprise Finance Agency (Ltd) (Reg1995/011258/06)

Applicant

Coram: Kganyago M.F

Decision handed down on the 20th July 2015

DECISION

[1] The applicant has brought an ex parte application, seeking an order for the extension to hold an Annual General Meeting ("AGM") later than 15 months from the date of their last AGM.

[2] The applicant has stated that the Board of its Directors at a meeting held on the 25th May 2015 have resolved to apply to the Tribunal for an extension to hold its

AGM for the following reasons:

2.1. SEFA is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Industrial Development Corporation Limited (IDC) which started reporting to the Department of Small Business Development on 1st April 2015 .

2.2. In terms of SEFA'S MOI, the Board of Directors is appointed by IDC, as the shareholder in consultation with the Executive Authority. The appointment of directors and the audit committee are matters to be transacted at an annual general meeting of a company.

2.3 Therefore, the Board of Directors of SEFA, and IDC wish to afford the Minister of Small Business Development enough time to consider the appointment of the new Board of Directors and the Audit Committee, and if relief is granted by the Tribunal , they will hold the company's AGM on or before 25th August 2015.

[3] In terms of section 61(7)(b) of the Companies Act 71 of 2008, a public company must convene an annual general meeting of its shareholders no more than 15 months after the date of the previous general meeting, or within an extended time allowed by the Companies Tribunal, on good course shown. The applicant is a public company, and it is therefore compelled to convene its AGM of

shareholders not more than 15 months after the date of the previous AGM. It is clear that the applicant will not be able to hold its AGM of shareholders within the

stipulated 15 months period, hence they are applying for an extension.

[4] I am therefore satisfied with the reasons submitted by the applicant. In my view

the said reasons constitute good cause to grant an extension of time to convene the AGM of shareholders outside the stipulated 15 months period.

[5] In the result I make the following order:

5.1. The applicant's application for an extension to convene its AGM later than the stipulated 15 months is granted.

5.2. The applicant to convene its AGM of shareholders on or before the 25th August 2015.

_____

M.

MEMBER OF THE

COMPANIES TRIBUNAL

2

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Authorities

Authorities used by the court

Cases, legislation, regulations, and constitutional provisions identified in the available record.

Companies Act 71 of 2008

Legislation

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