We need business rescue to combat extreme rise in liquidations

Mongezi highlights that the current economy is facing significant challenges, with businesses globally experiencing financial distress, impacting both companies and consumers. When addressing businesses in distress, Mongezi explains the distinction between the roles of a liquidator and a business rescue practitioner. A liquidator is appointed to wind up a company's affairs, taking possession of assets and disposing of them to benefit creditors. Equally, a business rescue practitioner aims to provide the company with breathing room, enabling it to restructure and return to solvency.

Mongezi clarifies that liquidation occurs when a company is insolvent, unable to meet its debts, or when winding up is deemed equitable, such as in cases of irreconcilable deadlock among directors. In contrast, business rescue focuses on potentially salvageable companies, aiming to turn them around rather than liquidate them.

However, Mongezi notes that business rescue may ultimately result in liquidation. For instance, if the practitioner determines that the company has no reasonable prospects for rescue, they must seek court approval to discontinue the rescue process and initiate liquidation. Additionally, if the grounds for believing in the company's rescue become obsolete, the practitioner must notify the court and all affected parties, filing a termination notice.