In 2009, Aurora Empowerment Systems a black-owned, politically connected business, made a bid to rescue the liquidated Pamodzi Gold mines.

Khulubuse Zuma, Michael Hulley and Zondwa Mandela, were listed as directors of Aurora. The company looked too good to be true – promising to turn the mines into a new business. Soon after the acquisition, cracks appeared. Many workers and suppliers went unpaid and Aurora-managed mines were stripped of assets, as illicit payments were made. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dianne Hawker has worked as a legal journalist and editor in South Africa's largest news organisations. She played a central role in setting up the county's newest 24-hour TV station, as head of News and Current Affairs at Newzroom Afrika. She has worked in radio and online news and is currently the Multimedia Editor at Timeslive, responsible for the production of audio and visual content for the Arena group. Hawker is a seasoned media trainer and coaches journalists and NGOs through her company, iNtatheli Media. She lives in Johannesburg.

How to Steal a Gold Mine: The Aurora Story is published by Tafelberg, an imprint of NB Publishers