Acsa has lashed out at claims that the company is facing imminent liquidation. On December 9, The Star reported that multiple service providers had applied for Acsa’s liquidation because it had failed to pay for services rendered amounting to R550 million.
However, in a statement, Acsa said liquidation proceedings had been instituted against it by just one service provider for unverified claims of R126 million, which is currently subject to an arbitration process scheduled for March 17, 2025.
“The service provider has chosen instead on November 27 to submit an application for liquidation, abandoning the arbitration process prescribed through the service level agreement as a last resort for contracting parties to resolve disputes. The application for liquidation is a vexatious and malicious attempt to coerce Acsa into paying unverified amounts,” says Acsa’s statement.
It says if the claim is verified to be legitimate, it is more than capable of paying its debts without resorting to liquidation.
A ‘fake’ financial statement
The Star also quoted an anonymous source alleging that Acsa had published ‘fake’ financial reports, as the company had posted a profit but failed to disclose its debt.
According to Acsa’s statement, its 2023/24 financial statements were independently audited by the Auditor General of South Africa, and an independent audit opinion confirmed that Acsa’s financial statements fairly presented the financial position of the group, its financial performance and cash flow for the year, in accordance with the financial standards, Public Finance Management Act and Companies Act.
Travel News attempted to contact all the service providers named in The Star‘s article, however some were unreachable, others refused to comment, and some claimed that they were not involved in the litigation.