Assore Seeks Delinquent Director Order Against ARM's Kajal Bissessor Over Assmang Tax Filing

Assore has asked a court to declare African Rainbow Minerals chief commercial officer Kajal Bissessor a delinquent director after Assmang failed to file its tax returns for financial 2025 on time, BusinessLIVE reported. Assmang is the iron ore and manganese mining house jointly controlled by Assore and JSE-listed African Rainbow Minerals, each holding 50% of its share capital and voting rights.

Assore's Case Against Bissessor

Assore's application rests on Assmang's missed tax deadline. In its particulars of claim, Assore says Bissessor, who holds dual roles at ARM and Assmang, put ARM's interests ahead of Assmang's and that the failure amounted to gross negligence. The tax return was due by the end of June 2026 and had not been submitted as of the weekend of October 31, 2026.

Assore's papers describe the non-filing as part of a wider pattern. "The non-filing of returns was thus an illegitimate and unlawful means to advance ARM's shareholder position through the guise of Assmang," the court papers read. Assore also says it has been denied access to quarterly Assmang management meeting reports, weekly operations reports and information on the appointment of material service providers since July last year, and cites senior manager appointments at the Black Rock and Khumani operations made without its knowledge.

ARM blames the missed deadline on information withheld by Assore, which handles marketing for the joint venture. ARM has demanded access to Assore's bank statements, a request Assore rejected on the grounds that it has supplied comprehensive financial information over the venture's 20-year life. "Based on legal advice received, ARM believes that Assore's claims and allegations have no substantive merit," ARM said, adding that it intends to defend the proceedings and bring its own case against Assore.

Assmang is a material asset for both groups. It reported sales of R33 billion in the year ended June 2026, with ARM's 50% share amounting to R16.6 billion. ARM Ferrous, which houses the Assmang investment, reported a 42% plunge in headline earnings in financial 2025 to R2 billion. The dispute pits ARM chair Patrice Motsepe against Desmond Sacco's Assore, which delisted from the JSE in 2020.

Other Director and Employment Suits

Other legal disputes involving directors and employers were also reported on October 31, 2026. Leah McSweeney voluntarily dismissed her 2024 lawsuit against Andy Cohen and Bravo on October 30, with the dismissal with prejudice, Yahoo reported. Kahn Swick & Foti said it continues to investigate MongoDB officers and directors after a court denied a motion to dismiss a securities class action, PR Newswire reported. Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw filed class actions against CMRE Financial Services and Redtail Technology over alleged California Labor Code violations, PR Newswire reported.

What Comes Next in the Assmang Dispute

ARM informed the market of Assore's application two weeks before October 31, 2026. ARM said it will defend the proceedings and bring its own proceedings against Assore over its rights to manage Assmang under the shareholders' agreement and to obtain the information and records needed to meet Assmang's legal and regulatory obligations. Motsepe and Assore counterparts met early in September to try to resolve their differences, without success.