Download PDF

Tanzania Judgment

TANZLII

IN THE MATTER OF COMPANIES ACT AND IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR ADMINSTRATION ORDER BY THE CO

On this page

Professional case brief

Research organized from the available case record

Source document

01

Holding and result

The company demonstrated inability to pay its debts and a management deadlock, and no objection was raised to administration. It is not just and equitable to wind up the company; administration is appropriate to salvage the business.

Court disposition

petition allowed

Orders

  • Ms. Sarah Mhamilawa appointed as administrator of MGT Cards Limited for two years from the date of the order, to conduct affairs along with the current managing director
  • No order as to costs

02

Material facts

Parties

MGT Cards Limited

Petitioner

Registrar of Companies

Respondent

Shareholders and Management of MGT Cards Limited

Respondent

Amounts and remedies

  • Company Nominal Capital: TZS 300,000,000
  • Debt to Commercial Bank of Africa (tanzania) Limited: USD 424,724.99
  • Number of Shares Issued: 10,000
  • Share Value Per Share: TZS 300,000

03

Procedural history

  1. Posture

    Miscellaneous Commercial Application / Ruling on Application for Administration Order

04

Questions and positions

Legal issues

Party arguments

Applicant
The company is unable to pay its debts, specifically a liability of US$ 424,724.99 to Commercial Bank of Africa (Tanzania) Limited, and there is a management deadlock. It is just and equitable to appoint an administrator to avoid winding up and to enable the company to run profitably.
Respondent
No controversy or objection was raised by the Registrar of Companies, shareholders, or management regarding the company's capacity to rehabilitate itself under administration.

05

Court’s reasoning

  1. 01

    Sections 247 and 248 of the Companies Act, Cap 212 R:E 2002

    Court may appoint an administrator if satisfied that the company is unable to pay its debts or it is just and equitable to do so, as an alternative to winding up.

  2. 02

    Sections 147 and 148 of the Companies Act, Cap 212 R:E 2002

    Court intervention in internal management is justified where shareholders and directors properly invoke jurisdiction under the Companies Act.

06

Ratio, limits and disposition

Ratio decidendi

The company demonstrated inability to pay its debts and a management deadlock, and no objection was raised to administration. It is not just and equitable to wind up the company; administration is appropriate to salvage the business.

Obiter and limits

  • The company owns valuable machinery and facilities, supporting the prospect of rehabilitation under administration.
  • Losses incurred were incidental to business and future profitability is possible if business continues.

Court disposition

petition allowed

  • Ms. Sarah Mhamilawa appointed as administrator of MGT Cards Limited for two years from the date of the order, to conduct affairs along with the current managing director
  • No order as to costs

Source and reliance status

TANZLII · 1 January 2015

This page organises the available record for research. Confirm quotations, current status, and subsequent treatment against the official source before relying on the case.

Judgment reading view

Judgment text

The complete available source text.

Source document

TANZLII

Judgment· 1 January 2015

IN THE MATTER OF COMPANIES ACT AND IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR ADMINSTRATION ORDER BY THE CO

IN THE HIGH COURT OF TANZANIA (COMMERCIAL DIVISION)

AT PAR ES SALAAM MISC. COMMERCIAL APPLICATION/ CAUSE NO. 150 OF 2015

IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT (CAP 212 R: E 2002)

AND

IN THE MATTER OF A PETITION FOR ADMINISTRATION

ORDER BY THE COMPANY MGT CARDS LIMTED...................................... PETITIONER

RULING Mansoor, J: Date of Ruling- 24 t h JULY 2015 1 This is an application made under Section 247 (1) (b), (2), (3) (a) and ( c); and Section 248 (1) of the Companies Act, Cap 212 R:E 2002 for appointing an administrator to conduct the affairs of a private limited company, MGT Cards Limited, along with its managing director for the duration of unspecified period. MGT Cards Limited, was incorporated on 26th March 2012 under the Companies Act, Cap 212 R: E 2002, and a Certificate of Incorporation No. 90219 was issued by the Registrar of the Companies. The nominal capital of the company as per the Annual Return (Form No. 128) filed with BRELA on 26th January 2015 is THz. 300, 000, 000 divided into 10, 000 ordinary shares of THz. 300,000 each, all of these shares have been issued and are fully paid up. PEM Limited owns 5000 shares and MGT (IMPZ) of Dubai owns 5,000 shares as well. The company, was running a business of designing, printing and manufacturing of all types of telecommunication sim cards, bank electronic and non-electronic cards, identity cards, and all types of smart cards, and security labels. Mr. Al Sean Merali was the secretary of the company as shown in the Annual Return, and the directors are Daniel Noni, Farouk Merali, al Sean Merali and Farhad Merali. Mr. Farhad Merali filed an affidavit in support of an application No. 150 of 2015 for the appointment of Ms.

Sara Mhamilawa as the Administrator and that the Company be placed under her administration. Substantially two grounds were alleged in support of the petition; The first was that the company was unable to pay its debts in that it had not discharged a liability of US$ 424,724.99 due to Commercial Bank of Africa (Tanzania) Limited in spite of demands. The Applicant attached the demands made on behalf of the Bank by Hallmark Attorneys on 6th August 2014 and 12th August 2014, and 17th October 2014. The second was that it was just and equitable that the company should be put into an administration order to avoid the petitioning of a wound up order by the creditors; the Petitioner also argued that the reason for the petition is also being that there was a deadlock in the current management of the Company. The Petitioner also filed a Board Resolution stating that the Board of Directors’ meeting of the company had been convened and resolved that the company was sustaining loss and it should be placed under the Administrator to enable it to run profitably. The Petitioner submitted that the losses incurred by the Companies in the past years were incidental to the business and that if the business were allowed to continue it would be possible not merely to discharge the liabilities of the business but to earn profits in future. There was no controversy put forward before the Court by the

Registrar of Companies or the shareholders or the management of the Company as to the capacity of the company to rehabilitate itself once the Company is put under the Administration of Ms. Sarah Mhamilawa as proposed by the Company. The company owns a valuable machineries with facilities for printing and manufacturing the cards as exhibited by the Applicant during the hearing of this Petition, and thus I am of the view that, an administrator should be appointed to carry on the business as shown in the object clauses of the Articles of Association of the Company filed in Court, and also as shown in the Proposed Administrator’s Report filed in this Court along with the Petition and I accordingly appoint Ms Sarah Mhamilawa for the purpose i.e. to carry on the affairs of the company, along with the current managing director of the company. I find it that it is not just and equitable to wind up the company and the Sections of the Companies Act cited by the Petitioner in its application enable a Court to intervene at the instance of the shareholders and the directors of the Company in the matter of the administration of the company under certain circumstances: One important circumstance is that the court should be satisfied on the facts deposed in the affidavit as well as in the Administrator Report. I therefore found that a case for passing an administration order has been made out.

From the facts of this petition as made out by the Petitioner, this court is of the opinion that the company 4 should be salvaged, and therefore passes an order under Section 147 and 148 of the Companies Act. The Petitioner had properly invoked the jurisdiction of this court for intervening in the internal management of the company by an appropriate application under Ss. 147 and 148 of the Companies Act. The order of this Court in the instant Petition appointing the administrator i.e. Ms. Sarah Mhamilawa is for the duration of two years from the date of this Order. The Petition is therefore allowed on the terms and condition prescribed herein above. No costs is provided. DATED at DAR ES SALAAM this 24™ day of JULY, 2015 5

Source wording is retained. Consult the source document for its original formatting and pagination.

Authorities

Authorities used by the court

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

Companies Act, Cap 212 R:E 2002, Sections 147, 148, 247, 248

Legislation

Legislation referenced in the available case record.

Case-aware research

Ask AI about this case

The judgment and available research above are public. New questions open in a separate private conversation grounded in this case.

About this LexChat collection

This page organizes the available case record for research. Verify quotations, current status, and subsequent treatment against the source document. Corrections can be reported to hello@esheria.ai.

Legal information, not legal advice. Research summaries do not replace the judgment.