SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(A) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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Section 240.14a-12
ASA LIMITED
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(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
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(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
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pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (Set forth the amount on which
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Dear ASA Shareholder:
At an important Special Meeting of Shareholders to be held on __________, your
Board of Directors is asking you to vote on revisions to ASA's investment
policies and conforming changes to ASA's corporate documents, its Memorandum of
Association and By-Laws . These revisions are designed to respond to fundamental
changes taking place in the structure of the gold mining industry.
Gold producers are becoming fewer, larger and more internationally focused. This
has been particularly true with respect to South African companies, several of
which have changed, or plan to change, their place of domicile. This new focus
reflects the end of South Africa's economic isolation and the desire of its gold
mining companies to expand exploration and production globally.
We intend to continue our emphasis on gold mining and other extractive
industries, such as diamonds and platinum. Although we will continue to favor
investment in South Africa, exploration and development today is occurring
primarily in other countries throughout the world. The ability to globalize our
Company's investment portfolio provides us with the opportunity to extend the
life of our underlying gold investments and enhance our long term viability and
growth. It also allows us to continue, if we choose, our investment in South
African companies who elect to change their place of domicile.
Your Board feels that it is in the best interest of your Company for you to
approve the proposals described in detail in the enclosed proxy statement. I
urge you to consider and vote on these very important matters.
In order to make sure that your vote is represented, please indicate your vote
on the enclosed proxy form, date and sign it, and return it in the enclosed
envelope regardless of whether or not you plan to attend the meeting. If you do
attend the meeting, you may revoke your proxy at the meeting and vote in person.
Sincerely,
Robert J.A. Irwin
Chairman of the Board
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ASA LIMITED
PADDOCK VIEW
36 WIERDA ROAD WEST
SANDTON 2196, SOUTH AFRICA
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NOTICE OF EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an Extraordinary Meeting of Shareholders of
ASA LIMITED (the Company) will be held on [_______, ________ __, 2000, at __:__
a.m., New York City time, at the ________________, New York, NY, USA,] for the
purpose of considering and acting upon the following business:
1. To change the Company's subclassification under the Investment
Company Act of 1940 from a diversified to a non-diversified company and
eliminate fundamental investment restrictions related thereto.
2. To eliminate one of the Company's fundamental investment
restrictions concerning the concentration of its investments and amend
another.
3. To adopt a Special Resolution amending and restating the
Company's Articles of Association, which resolution is required by law to be
stated in full and which is as follows:
RESOLVED, as a Special Resolution, that the Articles of Association
be amended and restated as indicated in Exhibit A to this Notice of
Extraordinary Meeting of Shareholders.
4. Such other business as may properly come before the Meeting
or any adjournment thereof.
The Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on _______ __, 2000
as the record date for the determination of the shareholders of the Company
entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the meeting and any adjournments thereof.
ROBERT J.A. IRWIN
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND TREASURER
_______ __, 2000
Each shareholder entitled to vote at the meeting is entitled to appoint
one or more proxies, who need not be shareholders, to attend the meeting and to
vote and speak on his or her behalf. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SHARES BE
REPRESENTED AT THE MEETING IN PERSON OR BY PROXY; WHETHER OR NOT YOU EXPECT TO
ATTEND THE MEETING, PLEASE DATE, SIGN AND INDICATE VOTING INSTRUCTIONS ON THE
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ACCOMPANYING PROXY AND MAIL IT PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ADDRESSED envelope. Any
shareholder who submits a completed proxy form is entitled to attend the meeting
and to vote in person, should that shareholder decide to do so.
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PROXY STATEMENT
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SOLICITATION AND REVOCATION OF PROXIES
The enclosed proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors of ASA Limited
(the Company) for use at the Annual Meeting of the Company's shareholders (the
Meeting) to be held on _______ __, 2000. The proxy may be revoked by the
shareholder at any time prior to its use at the Meeting by an instrument in
writing delivered to the United States Secretary, c/o LGN Associates, P.O. Box
269, 140 Columbia Turnpike, Florham Park, N.J. 07932 or delivered to him at the
Meeting.
The expense of preparing, assembling, printing and mailing the form of
proxy and the material used for the solicitation of proxies will be paid by
the Company. In addition to the solicitation of proxies by use of the mails,
the Company will retain D.F. King & Co., Inc., New York, NY, to aid in the
solicitation of proxies. Such solicitation will be by mail and telephone.
For these services the Company will pay D.F. King & Co., Inc. a fee, plus
reimbursement of its out-of-pocket expenses and disbursements, estimated in
the aggregate at approximately $[35,000]. The Company will also reimburse
brokers, nominees and fiduciaries who are record owners of shares of the
Company for the out-of-pocket and clerical expenses of transmitting copies of
the proxy material to the beneficial owners of such shares. The approximate
mailing date of the proxy statement and form of the proxy will be ______ __,
2000.
VOTING AT THE MEETING
Only shareholders of record at the close of business on _______ __, 2000
will be entitled to vote except that a person who at least 48 hours before the
meeting satisfies the directors that he has the right to transfer shares into
his name in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of any shareholder of record
shall be entitled to vote such shares. Proof of any such right should be
presented to the United States Secretary, c/o LGN Associates, P.O. Box 269, 140
Columbia Turnpike, Florham Park, NJ 07932. There are [9,600,000] shares of the
Company outstanding, each of which is entitled to one vote. Each valid proxy
received in time will be voted at the Meeting in favor of each proposal except
as contrary instructions are indicated, in which event such instructions will be
followed.
The Company knows of one beneficial owner who owns more than five percent
of the Company's outstanding shares.
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Amount and nature
Name and address of of beneficial Percent
beneficial owner(s) ownership(1)(2) of class
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President and Fellows of Harvard 505,400 5.3%
College
c/o Harvard Management Co., Inc.
600 Atlantic Avenue
Boston, MA 02110
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(1) Number of shares beneficially owned as of June 30, 2000 per Schedule
13G filed on the EDGAR system with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on February 11, 2000.
(2) The President and Fellows of Harvard College have sole voting power
with respect to 505,400 shares and sole dispositive power with respect
to 505,400 shares.
The Company's [Annual Report for the fiscal year ended November 30, 1999,
and Interim Report for the six months ending May 31, 2000,] including financial
statements, have previously been delivered to shareholders or accompany this
proxy statement and will also be mailed to each person who becomes a shareholder
of the Company on or before ______ __, 2000.
QUORUM
The Company's organizational documents provide that the presence at a
shareholder meeting, in person or by proxy of holders of a majority of the
shares of the Company then issued and outstanding and entitled to vote
constitutes a quorum at all general meetings. In addition, the South African
Companies Act No. 61 of 1973 (Companies Act) requires that three shareholders
entitled to vote at the meeting be present personally to constitute a quorum.
Thus, the Meeting cannot take place on its scheduled date if less than a
majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote are represented or if three
such shareholders are not present personally. If, within half an hour from the
time scheduled for the Meeting, a quorum of shareholders is not present, the
meeting shall stand adjourned to the same day the next week at the same time and
place, or to such other day, time and place as the directors may by notice to
the shareholders appoint. If a quorum is present but sufficient votes in favor
of any of the items are not received, the persons named as proxies may propose
one or more adjournments of the Meeting to permit further soliciting of proxies
from the Company's shareholders. Any such adjournment will require the
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares that are represented
(in person or by proxy) at the Meeting to be adjourned. The persons named as
proxies will vote in favor of any such adjournment if they determine that such
adjournment and additional solicitation are reasonable and in the interest of
the shareholders.
In tallying shareholder votes, abstentions and "broker non-votes" (i.e.,
shares held by brokers or nominees as to which (i) instructions have not been
received from the beneficial owners or persons entitled to vote and (ii) the
broker or nominee does not have discretionary voting power on a particular
matter) will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present
for purposes of convening the Meeting, but will not be counted as "votes cast,"
and, thus, will have no effect on the result of the vote.
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CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATES
The Company is a South African company and its only office is located in
South Africa. Its accounts are maintained and most of its transactions are
effected in rand, the currency of the Republic of South Africa. Rand amounts
are, therefore, used in this proxy statement except for payments made in United
States dollars. Dollar figures in parentheses are dollar equivalents of rand
amounts at the exchange rates in effect at the time of the transactions. The
official exchange rate floats under supervision of the South African Reserve
Bank. On May 31, 2000 the official exchange rate was R___ to the dollar ($0.__
to the rand). For a fuller discussion of the effect of fluctuations in the
currency exchange rate, see the Company's Annual Report for 1999 or Interim
Report for May 2000.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROPOSALS 1 AND 2
The Company is subject to two types of investment policies. The first type
of investment policy is called a "fundamental" policy, which can only be changed
by a vote of shareholders. The second type of investment policy is called a
non-fundamental policy, which can be changed by a vote of a majority of the
Board of Directors. In other words, the changing of a non-fundamental investment
policy does not require a shareholder vote.
Currently, the Company is subject to a number of fundamental policies
relating to the diversification of its portfolio and its concentration of
investments in certain issuers. These existing policies are described in
Proposals 1 and 2 below. As discussed in greater detail below, to enable the
Company to better respond to changes in the gold mining and other extractive
industries, the Board of Directors has recommended that shareholders approve the
amendment or elimination of these policies. If shareholders approve all of the
proposed changes to the fundamental policies, the changes would become "new
fundamental policies" and would not be able to be changed in the future without
shareholder approval.
As described in Proposal 1, the proposed changes to the Company's existing
fundamental policies on the amount the Company may invest in the securities of a
single issuer will give the Company greater investment flexibility. However, if
Sub-Proposals 1A, 1B and 1C are approved by shareholder, the Board will adopt a
non-fundamental policy requiring the Company's portfolio to maintain a certain
level of diversification. This non-fundamental policy is described at the
beginning of Proposal 1. Because it is non-fundamental, it may be changed by a
vote of the Board of Directors (i.e., without shareholder approval).
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS
PROPOSAL 1: TO CHANGE THE COMPANY'S SUBCLASSIFICATION UNDER THE
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 FROM A DIVERSIFIED TO A
NON-DIVERSIFIED COMPANY AND ELIMINATE FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT
RESTRICTIONS RELATED THERETO.
(This Proposal involves separate votes on Sub-Proposals 1A,
1B and 1C.)
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The Company is currently subject to a number of restrictions concerning
the amount in which it may invest in the securities of a single issuer. These
restrictions are described in the Sub-Proposals set forth below. Provided that
shareholders approve all of the proposed changes in Sub-Proposals 1A, 1B and 1C,
the Board has approved that the Company operate under the following
non-fundamental investment restriction:
The Company shall not purchase a security if, at the time of
purchase, more than 20% of the value of its total assets would be
invested in securities of that issuer.
If adopted, this non-fundamental investment restriction would be
changeable by a vote of a majority of the Company's Board of Directors, I.E.
shareholder approval is not required to change a non-fundamental policy.
Recent consolidation in the gold mining industry has reduced the number of
issuers in which the Company may invest. Given this reduction in issuers, the
Board believes the Company should have greater flexibility to invest its assets
in a single issuer. To the extent the Company were to invest to a greater extent
in a single issuer than is currently permitted, the Company could be subject to
greater investment risk. However, it is not anticipated that the proposed
changes will result in a material change to the management or level of
investment risk associated with an investment in the Company. In addition,
recent restructurings in the gold mining industry have resulted in a change of
country of incorporation and/or location of principal office out of South Africa
by certain firms and the further internationalization of historically South
African mining companies as these firms diversify their production into new
areas. These trends reflect the end of South Africa's economic isolation as well
as global trends toward expanding mining exploration and production into new
areas. Their implication for the Company is the need to adapt to the times and
not to adhere to a rigid percentage of investment in issuers by place of
domicile.
SUB-PROPOSAL 1A: TO CHANGE THE COMPANY'S SUBCLASSIFICATION UNDER THE
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 FROM A DIVERSIFIED TO A
NON-DIVERSIFIED COMPANY.
The Company currently operates as a diversified fund for purposes of the
Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act). Pursuant to the 1940 Act, a
diversified fund may not purchase securities of any one issuer, if as a result,
more than 5% of the fund's total assets would be invested in securities of that
issuer or the fund would own or hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting
securities of that issuer, except that up to 25% of the fund's total assets may
be invested without regard to these limitations.
Pursuant to the 1940 Act, a non-diversified fund is any fund other than a
diversified fund. Although the 1940 Act does not place any investment limits on
a non-diversified fund, the Board has approved the non-fundamental restriction
set forth above which would become effective if this proposal is approved.
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The Board has approved, subject to shareholder approval, changing the fund
from a diversified to a non-diversified fund for purposes of the 1940 Act.
SUB-PROPOSAL 1B: TO ELIMINATE FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTION CONCERNING
THE PERCENTAGE OF ASSETS WHICH THE COMPANY MAY INVEST IN
THE SECURITIES OF ANY ONE ISSUER.
The Company is currently subject to the following fundamental investment
restriction:
(9) THE PERCENTAGE OF ITS ASSETS WHICH REGISTRANT MAY INVEST IN THE
SECURITIES OF ANY ONE ISSUER. It is the policy of Registrant not to
purchase the securities of any issuer if immediately after and as a
result of such purchase the market value of such securities, and all
other securities of the same issuer owned by Registrant, shall
exceed 20% of the value of Registrant's total assets, determined in
such manner as may be approved by the Board of Directors of
Registrant and applied on a consistent basis (subject to the
limitations of Section 2(a)(41) of the Investment Company Act of
1940), except securities issued or guaranteed by the Government of
the Republic of South Africa or any instrumentality thereof;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that Registrant may not purchase the securities
of any issuer if immediately after and as a result of such purchase
the market value of such securities, and all other securities of the
same issuer owned by Registrant, shall exceed 10% of the value of
Registrant's total assets, so determined, if either (a) such
purchase will result in more than 40% of the value of Registrant's
total assets consisting of investments in companies each of which
investments exceeds 10% of the value of Registrant's total assets or
(b) such 40% limitation is already exceeded.
For the reasons discussed above, the Board has approved, subject to
shareholder approval, the elimination of the foregoing restriction.
SUB-PROPOSAL 1C: TO ELIMINATE FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTION CONCERNING
THE PERCENTAGE OF VOTING SECURITIES OF ANY ONE ISSUER WHICH
THE COMPANY MAY ACQUIRE.
The Company is currently subject to the following fundamental investment
restriction:
(10) THE PERCENTAGE OF VOTING SECURITIES OF ANY ONE ISSUER WHICH
REGISTRANT MAY ACQUIRE. It is the policy of Registrant not to
purchase securities of any issuer if immediately after and as a
result of such purchase Registrant shall own more than 10% of any
class of outstanding securities of such issuer, except securities
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issued or guaranteed by the Government of the Republic of South
Africa or any instrumentality thereof.
For the reasons discussed above, the Board has approved, subject to
shareholder approval, the elimination of the foregoing restriction.
REQUIRED VOTE: Approval of each Sub-Proposal requires the affirmative vote of a
majority of the Company's outstanding voting securities, which means the vote
of: (1) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Company; or
(2) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Company present at the Meeting,
if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present
or represented by proxy at the Meeting, whichever is less.
Approval of one Sub-Proposal is not contingent on the approval of any other
Sub-Proposal.
THE DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU VOTE FOR SUB-PROPOSALS 1A, 1B AND
1C. UPON SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL, THE PROPOSED CHANGES WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE
IMMEDIATELY. IF ANY SUB-PROPOSAL IS NOT APPROVED, THAT POLICY OR RESTRICTION
WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED.
PROPOSAL 2: TO ELIMINATE ONE OF THE COMPANY'S FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT
RESTRICTIONS CONCERNING THE CONCENTRATION OF ITS INVESTMENTS
AND AMEND ANOTHER.
The Company currently is subject to the following two fundamental
investment restrictions relating to the concentration of its investments
(Concentration Restrictions):
(a) GENERAL. It is the policy of Registrant to invest over 50% of the
value of its total assets in the common shares or securities
convertible into common shares of companies conducting, as the major
portion of their business, gold mining and related activities in the
Republic of South Africa. It is expected that most of such companies
will have reached the production stage. The balance of Registrant's
total assets, other than minor amounts which may be held in cash,
may (i) be invested in common shares or securities convertible into
common shares of companies engaged in other business of varied types
in the Republic of South Africa, (ii) be held in the form of gold
bullion or certificates of deposit therefor to be purchased,
directly or indirectly, with South African rand (provided that
Registrant's holdings in the form of gold bullion or certificates of
deposit therefor may not exceed 25% of the value of Registrant's
total assets) and/or (iii) be invested in common shares or
securities convertible into common shares convertible into common
shares of companies primarily engaged outside of South Africa in
extractive or related industries or in the holding or development of
real estate (provided that Registrant's investment in such companies
may not exceed 20% of the value of Registrant's total assets).
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(b)(5) THE CONCENTRATION OF INVESTMENTS IN A PARTICULAR INDUSTRY OR GROUP
OF INDUSTRIES. It is the policy of Registrant to invest over 50% of
the value of its total assets in the common shares or securities
convertible to common shares of companies conducting, as the major
portion of their business, gold mining and related activities in the
Republic of South Africa. It is expected that most of such companies
will have reached the production stage.
The Board has approved, subject to shareholder approval, eliminating
Concentration Restriction (a) above and amending Concentration Restriction
(b)(5) as follows:
THE CONCENTRATION OF INVESTMENTS IN A PARTICULAR INDUSTRY OR GROUP
OF INDUSTRIES. It is the policy of Registrant to invest over 50% of
the value of its total assets at the time of purchase in the common
shares or securities convertible to common shares of companies
conducting, as the major portion of their business, gold mining and
related activities.
The 1940 Act requires that an investment company which has a policy of
concentrating in a particular industry maintain at least 25% of its total assets
in that industry. Nothing in the 1940 Act requires concentration in South
African issuers, whether they be involved in the gold mining business as
currently is required under (a) and (b)(5) above, or in South African issuers
involved in the extractive industries or real estate as currently is required by
(a) above. The Board believes that eliminating Concentration Restriction (a) and
amending Concentration Restriction (b)(5) in the manner proposed will provide
the Company additional investment flexibility while maintaining its primary
focus on investing in securities of companies which derive a major portion of
their business from the gold mining industry and related activities. The Company
also intends to continue its secondary focus on investing in securities of
companies involved in other extractive businesses (such as diamonds, platinum
and the like) and related activities.
REQUIRED VOTE: Approval proposal No. 2 requires the affirmative vote of a
majority of the Company's outstanding voting securities, which means the vote
of: (1) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Company; or
(2) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Company present at the Meeting,
if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present
or represented by proxy at the Meeting, whichever is less.
THE DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU VOTE FOR PROPOSAL NO. 2. THE
AMENDED FUNDAMENTAL CONCENTRATION RESTRICTION, UPON SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL, WILL
BECOME EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. IF PROPOSAL NO. 2 IS NOT APPROVED, THE COMPANY'S
CURRENT FUNDAMENTAL CONCENTRATION RESTRICTION WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED.
PROPOSAL 3: TO APPROVE THE COMPANY'S AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF
ASSOCIATION.
Certain provisions of the Company's Articles of Association (Articles), as
discussed below, are inconsistent with other provisions of the Articles or are
now inconsistent with or are no longer required by the 1940 Act or the Companies
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Act. This causes undue confusion and uncertainty in corporate governance and may
delay or prevent the Company from taking necessary corporate actions in a timely
manner.
The Board has approved, subject to shareholder approval, amending and
restating the Articles as shown in the attached Exhibit A. The Board believes
that the proposed Amended and Restated Articles will allow the Company to
respond more efficiently to legal, regulatory and economic changes in countries
in which the Company invests and will increase shareholder participation in
corporate governance of the Company.
Material changes to the Articles are discussed below:
A. TO AMEND THE COMPANY'S VOTING REQUIREMENT FOR A SPECIAL RESOLUTION.
The Articles provide that the Company may not amend its Memorandum of
Association or the Articles, create new shares, reduce its capital, voluntarily
dissolve, reorganize or merge with another company, except by Special
Resolution. Pursuant to Article 18 of the Articles, a Special Resolution must be
passed at a meeting at which a majority of the shares entitled to vote are
present, in person or by proxy, by the affirmative vote of the greater of (i) a
majority of all the outstanding shares, or (ii) at least 75% of the shares
present in person or by proxy (Special Resolution Voting Requirement). This
Special Resolution Voting Requirement provides a higher voting standard than the
Companies Act currently requires and makes it unnecessarily difficult for the
Company to adapt to legal, regulatory and economic developments.
The Board has approved, subject to shareholder approval, amending Article
18 as follows:
A Special Resolution for the purposes of these Articles is a
resolution adopted at a meeting duly called for the purpose on at
least 21 (twenty-one) days' notice, at which at least 25% of the
total votes of all members entitled to vote are represented in
person or by proxy; and adopted by the affirmative vote of at least
75% of the total votes to which members present in person or by
proxy are entitled.
B. TO AMEND THE ARTICLES TO PERMIT ELECTRONIC SOLICITATION AND VOTING BY
SHAREHOLDERS.
Article 39 provides that shareholder proxies must be "in writing under the
hand of the person granting such proxy." Methods of proxy solicitation have
changed a great deal in recent years. As a result, proxies now often are
solicited and appointed, and shareholder votes are cast, via telephone,
facsimile, computer and other electronic methods (Electronic Solicitation and
Voting). Electronic Solicitation and Voting saves an investment company time and
money because the company may use less expensive and time-consuming methods to
solicit and count votes and proxies. In addition, a company is more likely to
get a quorum with the initial proxy solicitation because shareholders find it
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easier to respond electronically. This saves the company the cost of subsequent
solicitations.
South African corporate law is silent on the issue of whether Electronic
Solicitation and Voting is permissible. However, South African courts frequently
rely on English law and there is English precedent for the proposition that a
shareholders meeting conducted using modern technology will not be invalidated
because the law did not foresee the development of the technology. However, the
Companies Act does require that at least three members entitled to vote be
personally present or represented at the meeting. Thus, electronic voting will
only be permissible at meetings where at least three members are personally
present or represented by proxy and where those members' votes are not cast
electronically.
The Board has approved, subject to shareholder approval, amending Article
39 as follows:
Votes may be given in person, electronically or by proxy. A proxy
may be appointed in writing or electronically, via telephone,
facsimile, computer or any other method to deliver an instrument
that will enable a shareholders to appoint a proxy to vote the
shareholders' shares at a meeting. If the shareholder is a company
or corporation, the proxy shall be executed or signed in such form
as will be binding under the governing documents of that company, or
shall be in the form of a resolution of the board of the company,
certified by the chairman or secretary of that board. The holder of
the power of attorney of a shareholder may (if so authorized by the
power of attorney) appoint a proxy or vote for and represent that
shareholder at any meeting of the Company.
C. TO AMEND THE VOTE REQUIRED TO AMEND A FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT POLICY.
Sub-Article 10.2 provides that the Company cannot change from a
diversified to a non-diversified company or deviate from any fundamental
investment policy "unless authorized by a vote of a majority of its members." A
"member" essentially is a record holder, which includes nominee holders
representing the interests of numerous beneficial owners.
South African law does not require the special vote provided for in
Sub-Article 10.2 and Sub-Article 10.2 imposes a different and higher voting
requirement than the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act a fundamental investment
policy may be changed upon approval of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the
outstanding voting securities of the Company; or (2) 67% or more of the
outstanding voting securities of the Company at a shareholders meeting, if the
holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present in
person or by proxy. In each case the 1940 Act measures the number of shares held
by a shareholder, rather than the number of shareholders in the company.
Further, the 1940 Act provides record owners with one vote for each share held.
Under Sub-Article 10.2, each member would get one vote regardless of how many or
how few shares they represented. Also, to amend a fundamental policy,
Sub-Article 10.2 requires the approval of a majority of all members, not just a
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percentage of those represented at the meeting. Sub-Article 10.2 also raises
practical difficulties because U.S. proxy services are not equipped to count a
vote by member.
The Board has approved, subject to shareholder approval, amending
Sub-Article 10.2 as follows:
When and so long as the Company shall be registered under the
Investment Company Act, unless authorized by a vote of the lesser of
(1) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the
Company; or (2) 67% or more of the outstanding voting securities of
the Company at a shareholders meeting, if the holders of more than
50% of the outstanding voting securities are present in person or by
proxy, the Company shall not:
D. TO CHANGE CERTAIN CORPORATE OPERATING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO
CONFORM WITH THE 1940 ACT AND THE COMPANIES ACT.
Several Articles refer generally to the Companies Act Number 46 of 1926
(the 1926 Act) or to specific sections of the 1926 Act. The 1926 Act has been
replaced by the Companies Act No. 61 of 1973 (Companies Act). The references to
the 1926 Act now are incorrect. The Board has approved, subject to shareholder
approval, amending Articles which refer to the 1926 Act or specific parts of the
1926 Act to refer generally to the Companies Act, as amended or substituted from
time to time.
Certain other Articles stipulate procedures required by the Companies Act
or the 1940 Act. However, these Articles do not conform to the current
requirements of the Companies Act or the 1940 Act. The Board has approved,
subject to shareholder approval, amending the following Articles to conform to
the Companies Act and 1940 Act current requirements:
Article 28 provides that the quorum for a general shareholders meeting of
the Company is "a majority of the shares then issued and outstanding and
entitled to vote, present in person or represented by proxy." Section 190 of the
Companies Act requires that the minimum quorum for a shareholders meeting is
three members entitled to vote present in person. A corporation which is a
member may be present by a representative. The Board has approved, subject to
shareholder approval, amending Article 28 to conform to the current Companies
Act requirement.
Sub-Article 6.2(b)(1) provides that the Board must select the independent
accountant thirty days before or after the beginning of the fiscal year.
However, the 1940 Act provides additional flexibility by allowing the Board to
select the accountant "before the annual meeting of stockholders in that year."
Sub-Article 6.2(b)(2) provides that the Board may fill a vacancy of the
independent accountant. The 1940 Act requires that this vacancy be filled
subject to vote of a majority of the disinterested directors, cast in person at
a meeting called for the purpose. The Board has approved, subject to shareholder
approval, amending Sub-Article 6.2(b) to conform to 1940 Act requirements.
12
<PAGE>
Sub-Article 7.1 sets forth certain requirements regarding custody of the
Company's assets. These requirements reflect certain requirements of the 1940
Act, as well as certain requirements under an exemptive order issued by the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to the Company in 199_. In 2000, the
SEC issued an amended order allowing the Company greater flexibility in using
foreign subcustodians. The Board has approved, subject to shareholder approval,
amending Sub-Article 7.1 to reflect the terms of the 2000 order and to provide
for flexibility in custody arrangements to the extent that the SEC amends the
2000 order.
Sub-Article 11.1(4) provides that an investment advisory agreement will
automatically terminate upon assignment by the investment adviser. The 1940 Act
stipulates that an investment advisory agreement must provide for its automatic
termination in the event of its assignment. The 1940 Act does not specify
assignment by the investment adviser. The Board has approved, subject to
shareholder approval, amending Sub-Article 11.1(4) to conform to 1940 Act
requirement.
REQUIRED VOTE: Approval proposal No. 3 requires the affirmative vote of holders
of the greater of (i) a majority of all the outstanding shares, or (ii) at least
75% of the shares of the Company represented at the Meeting, if the holders of
more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present or represented by
proxy at the Meeting.
THE DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU VOTE FOR PROPOSAL NO. 3. THE
AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES, UPON SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL, WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE
FOLLOWING THE ADJOURNMENT OF THIS MEETING. IF PROPOSAL NO. 3 IS NOT APPROVED,
THE COMPANY'S CURRENT ARTICLES WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED.
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS
In order for a shareholder proposal to be included in the Proxy Statement
and Proxy for the 2001 Annual Meeting, the proposal must be received by the
Company no later than August 30, 2000.
OTHER MATTERS
The management of the Company knows of no other business which will be
presented for consideration at the Meeting, but should any other matters
requiring a vote of shareholders arise, the persons named in the enclosed proxy
will vote thereon in accordance with their best judgment.
ASA LIMITED
ROBERT J.A. IRWIN
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND TREASURER
_______ __, 2000
<PAGE>
ASA LIMITED
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
P The signer on the reverse side of this proxy, a shareholder of ASA
Limited, hereby appoints Henry R. Breck and Lawrence G. Nardolillo, and
R each of them, proxies with power of substitution, to vote at the Annual
Meeting of Shareholders of the Company to be held on [_________ ___,
O 2000, at _:_ a.m., New York City time, at the ______________, New York,
NY, USA,] and all adjournments thereof, all shares of the Company
X standing in his name.
The shareholder may here write the name of a proxy of his own choice to
vote his shares
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The shareholder may here write the name of an alternate proxy
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A majority of said proxies, or their substitutes, who shall be present
and acting at said meeting (or in case but one shall be present and
acting, then that one) shall have and may exercise all the powers of said
proxies hereunder.
Each shareholder entitled to vote at the meeting is entitled to appoint
one or more proxies, who need not be shareholders, to attend the meeting
and to vote and speak on his behalf.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU EXPECT TO ATTEND THE MEETING -----------
YOU ARE REQUESTED TO DATE AND SIGN THIS PROXY SEE REVERSE
AND MAIL IT PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. SIDE
-----------
<PAGE>
X PLEASE MARK YOUR 0224
VOTES AS IN THIS -------
EXAMPLE.
THIS PROXY WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED WILL BE VOTED IN THE MANNER DIRECTED, IN CASE
NO INSTRUCTIONS ARE GIVEN AS TO ANY ITEMS SET FORTH IN THIS PROXY, THIS PROXY
SHALL BE DEEMED TO GRANT AUTHORITY TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF SUCH ITEMS, AND IN THE
DISCRETION OF THE PROXIES NAMED HEREIN, UPON OTHER MATTERS THAT MAY PROPERLY
COME BEFORE THE MEETING.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS VOTING FOR PROPOSALS 1A, 1B, 1C, 2 AND 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Approval of changes to the Company's subclassification under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 from a diversified to a non-diversified
Company and approval of the elimination of fundamental investment
restrictions related thereto:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN
<S> <C> <C> <C>
1A. Approval of changes to the Company's subclassification under the Investment [ ] [ ] [ ]
Company Act of 1940 from a diversified to a non-diversified Company.
1B. Elimination of fundamental investment restriction concerning the percentage [ ] [ ] [ ]
of assets which the Company may invest in the securities of any one issuer.
1C. Elimination of fundamental investment restriction concerning the percentage [ ] [ ] [ ]
of voting securities of any one issuer which the Company may acquire.
2. Elimination of one of the Company's fundamental investment restrictions concerning the [ ] [ ] [ ]
concentration of its investments and amendment of another.
3. Approval of the Company's Amended and Restated Articles of Association. [ ] [ ] [ ]
</TABLE>
SIGNATURE(S) DATE
---------------------------------- ---------
NOTE: Please sign exactly as name appears hereon. Joint
owners should each sign. When signing as
Executor, Administrator, Trustee or Guardian,
please give full title as such.
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT A
THE COMPANIES ACT NUMBER 61 OF 1973
(A COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES)
- - - - - - - - -
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF
ASA LIMITED
<PAGE>
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
ASA LIMITED
INDEX
Caption Section
------- -------
Preliminary
Certificates
Transfer of Shares 12
Amendments to Memorandum and Articles of Association 18
Reduction, Consolidation and Sub-Division of Shares 22
Borrowing Powers 23
General Meetings 24
Proceedings at General Meetings 27
Votes of Members 36
Directors 43
Rotation of Directors 50
Proceedings of Directors 57
Seal 66
Powers of Directors 67
Transfer Offices 69
Dividend 70
Capitalization 74
Reserve Fund 76
Accounts 78
Audit 83
Notices 89
Indemnity 98
United States Requirements 101
By-Law
------
Definitions, Interpretations and References One
Situation of Offices Two
Board of Directors Three
Officers Four
Capital Stock Certificates and Transfers Five
Accounts, Audit and Reports Six
Custodian Seven
Ineligibility of Certain Persons Eight
Transactions with Affiliates Nine
Investment Policy Ten
Investment Advisers and Principal Underwriters Eleven
<PAGE>
Proxies, Voting Trusts, Circular Ownership Twelve
Reorganizations and Exchanges Thirteen
Liquidation upon Certain Contingencies Fourteen
Changes in By-Laws and Memorandum of Association Fifteen
Responsibility of Directors Sixteen
<PAGE>
P R E L I M I N A R Y
1.
In these Articles, unless the context otherwise requires, expressions
defined in the Companies Act, 1973 (as amended or substituted from time to time)
shall have the meanings so defined; words importing the singular shall include
the plural and vice-versa, and words importing persons shall include bodies
corporate; the words and expressions following shall have the following
meanings, namely:-
"THE COMPANIES ACT" means the Companies Act, 1973 (as
amended or substituted from time to time).
"THE OFFICE" means the Registered Office for the time
being of the Company.
"THE REGISTER" means the Register of Members to be kept
pursuant to the Companies Act.
"YEAR" means calendar year.
"MONTH" means calendar month.
"IN WRITING" or "WRITTEN" means and includes words printed, autographed,
represented or produced in any mode in a
visible form.
"SECRETARY" includes any person appointed to perform the
duties of Secretary temporarily.
"SIGN" and "SIGNATURE" include lithography, printing and names impressed
with an india-rubber or other kind of stamp.
"GAZETTE" means the Government Gazette of the Republic of
South Africa.
2.
The Regulations contained in Table "A" to the Companies Act shall not
apply to this company.
<PAGE>
-2-
3.
None of the funds of the Company shall be employed in the purchase of, or
lent on the security of the shares of the Company, or of any company to which it
is subsidiary, and the Company shall not, except as authorized by the Companies
Act, give any financial assistance for the purpose of or connected with any
purchase of shares in the Company.
4.
The shares shall be under the control of the Company in General Meeting
which may, by a Resolution, direct that the Directors allot or otherwise dispose
of the same to such persons, on such terms and conditions and either at a
premium or otherwise, and at such times as the Directors think fit. The
Directors shall not allot any shares to, nor shall any member be entitled to
transfer any shares to, any person who is ordinarily resident in the Republic of
South Africa, nor to a company incorporated in the Republic of South Africa.
5.
As regards all allotments of shares from time to time made, the Directors
shall comply with the Companies Act.
6.
The Company may at any time pay a commission to any person for subscribing
or agreeing to subscribe (whether absolutely or conditionally) for any shares of
the Company, or procuring or agreeing to procure subscriptions (whether absolute
or conditional) for any shares, but so that if the commission in respect of
shares shall be paid or payable out of capital, the statutory conditions and
requirements shall be observed and complied with, and the amount or rate of
commission, whether payable out of profits or capital, or both, shall not exceed
9% (nine per centum) of the price at which the shares are issued.
7.
Save as herein otherwise provided, the Company shall be entitled to treat
the registered holder of any share as the absolute owner thereof, and
accordingly shall not, except as ordered by a Court of competent Jurisdiction,
or as by the Companies Act required, be bound to recognize any trust, charge,
encumbrance, lien or other claim to, or interest in, such share on the part of
any other person.
Notwithstanding anything provided in this Article or Articles 11, 16 and
17 the Directors may specially authorize any person including a transfer agent
(a) to record for the benefit of interested parties and to give effect thereto
on the Company's register any trust or fiduciary interest or like interest, any
ownership in common or joint ownership, or any ownership in consequence of
death, or (b) to deliver any Certificate of Shares registered in the name of two
or more persons to any person authorized to receive the same.
<PAGE>
-3-
CERTIFICATES
8.
The Certificates of title to shares shall be issued under the authority of
the Directors in such manner, and form, as the Directors may from time to time
prescribe, and shall, if under the Seal of the Company, bear the autographic
signature of one or more Directors and of the Secretary, and, if not under the
seal of the Company, shall bear the autographic signatures of two or more
Directors and of the Secretary, and/or the Transfer Secretary, provided, that
where any such Certificate is signed by a Transfer Agent and a Registrar, the
signature of any such Director and of the Secretary and the Seal may be a
facsimile.
9.
Every member shall without payment, subject to ARTICLE 11, be entitled to
receive within two months after allotment of shares to him or lodgment of a
transfer of shares to or by him (or within such other period as the conditions
of issue shall provide) one certificate (or if the Directors so approve and upon
payment of a fee not exceeding ten cents, several certificates each for one or
more than one shares) for all the shares registered or remaining registered in
his name. Every certificate shall denote the numbers of shares to which it
relates.
10.
If any certificate be worn out or defaced, then upon production thereof to
the Directors, they may order the same to be cancelled, and may issue a new
certificate in lieu thereof, and if any certificate be lost or destroyed, then
upon proof thereof to the satisfaction of the Directors, and on such indemnity
as the Directors deem adequate being given, and after such advertisement as the
Directors may approve, a new certificate in lieu thereof shall be given to the
person entitled to such lost or destroyed certificate. In the case of loss or
destruction, that member to whom the new certificate is given shall repay to the
Company all expenses incidental to the investigation by the Company of the
evidence of such destruction or loss, and of the indemnity. The Directors may
make a charge not exceeding 10 (ten) cents as they may from time to time think
fit for any certificate issued under this Article.
11.
The Certificate of Shares registered in the names of two or more persons
shall be delivered to the person first named on the register in respect thereof.
TRANSFER OF SHARES
12.
The instrument of transfer of any share shall be signed by the transferor,
and the transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of such share until the
name of the transferee is entered in the Register in respect thereof. Transfer
of shares shall be made by the person named in the certificate representing such
<PAGE>
-4-
shares or by his attorney lawfully constituted, and upon surrender of such
certificate properly endorsed. Transfers of shares shall only be made at the
transfer office of the Company designated for such purposes by the Directors.
13.
The instrument of transfer of any share shall be in writing in the usual
common form, or as near thereto as circumstances will permit.
14.
The Directors may decline to register any transfer or transmission of
shares to any person or company giving an address in the Republic of South
Africa or to any person who is ordinarily resident in the Republic of South
Africa or to a company incorporated in the Republic of South Africa.
15.
The transfer books and registers of members may, upon notice being given
by advertisement in the Gazette and a newspaper circulating in the City of New
York, State of New York, United States of America, be closed during such time as
the Directors think fit, not exceeding in the whole 60 (sixty) days in each
year.
16.
The Executors or Administrators of a deceased member (not being one of
several joint holders) shall be the only persons recognized by the Company as
having any title to the shares registered in the name of such member, and in
case of the death of any one or more of the joint holders of any registered
shares, the survivor shall be the only person recognized by the Company as
having any title to, or interest in, such shares.
17.
Any person becoming entitled to shares in consequence of the death or
bankruptcy of any member, upon producing proper evidence of the grant of Probate
or Letters of Administration or such other evidence that he sustains the
character in respect of which he proposed to act under this Article, or of his
title, as the Directors think sufficient, may be registered as a member in
respect of such shares, or may, subject to the regulations as to transfer
hereinbefore contained, transfer such shares.
This Article is hereinafter referred to as "TRANSMISSION ARTICLE".
<PAGE>
-5-
AMENDMENTS TO MEMORANDUM AND
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
18.
The Company may not, except by a Special Resolution, amend its Memorandum
of Association or these Articles of Association, increase its capital by the
creation of new shares, authorize or issue any securities senior in preference
to its ordinary shares, reduce its capital or voluntarily dissolve, nor may it
reorganize or merge with or into another company except by a Special Resolution
or upon the approval of a majority in number representing 75% (seventy-five per
centum) in value of the Company's creditors or of its shareholders present at
meetings called for that purpose and the approval of the High Court of the
Republic of South Africa. A Special Resolution for the purposes of these
Articles is a Special Resolution as determined in the Companies Act.
19.
The new shares created by such a Special Resolution shall be issued upon
such terms and conditions as the Special Resolution shall direct, or if the
Special Resolution so directs, as the Directors may determine.
20.
The SPECIAL RESOLUTION may direct that the new shares, or any of them,
shall be offered in the first instance and either at par or at a premium, to all
the then holders of shares, in proportion to the amount of capital held by them,
or make other provisions as to the issue and allotment of the new shares; BUT
the SPECIAL RESOLUTION may authorize the Directors to issue and allot the new
shares on such terms and conditions as they think fit.
21.
Except so far as otherwise provided by the conditions of issue, or by these
presents, any capital raised by the creation of new shares shall be considered
part of the original capital, and shall be subject to the provisions herein
contained with reference to transfer and transmission, and otherwise.
REDUCTION, CONSOLIDATION AND
SUB-DIVISION OF SHARES
22.
The Company may from time to time by SPECIAL RESOLUTION reduce its capital
and any capital reserve fund, in any manner and with and subject to any incident
authorized and consent required by law, subdivide or consolidate its shares or
any of them, or cancel shares which have not been taken up or agreed to be taken
up by any person.
<PAGE>
-6-
BORROWING POWERS
23.
The Directors may from time to time (subject as hereinafter in these
Articles of Association provided) exercise all the powers of the Company to
borrow or raise money and in such manner and on such terms as they may think
fit.
GENERAL MEETINGS
24.
GENERAL MEETINGS referred to in these Articles shall be called either
"ANNUAL MEETINGS" or "EXTRAORDINARY MEETINGS". All such meetings shall be held
at any place in the United States of America as the Board of Directors shall
determine. An Annual Meeting of the Company shall be held at least once in every
calendar year, and not more than thirteen months after the holding of the last
preceding Annual Meeting.
25.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Treasurer or the Directors
may, whenever he or they think fit, convene an Extraordinary Meeting and they
shall, on the requisition of one hundred members of the Company or of members of
the Company holding at the date of the deposit of the requisition not less than
one-twentieth of the issued shares of the Company, within fourteen days of the
deposit of the requisition, issue a notice to members convening an Extraordinary
Meeting of the Company for a date not less than twenty-one and not more than
thirty-five days from the date of the notice.
26.
An Annual Meeting and a meeting called for the passing of a Special
Resolution shall be called by twenty-one days' notice in writing at the least,
and a meeting of the Company, other than an Annual Meeting or a meeting for the
passing of a Special Resolution, shall be called by fourteen days' notice in
writing at the least. The notice shall be exclusive of the day on which it is
served or deemed to be served and of the day for which it is given, and shall
specify the place the day and the hour of meeting, and, in the case of special
business, the general nature of that business, and shall be given in manner
hereinafter mentioned or in such other manner, if any, as may be prescribed by
the Company in General meeting, to such persons as are, under the regulations of
the Company, entitled to receive such notices from the Company and to the New
York Stock Exchange.
PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS
27.
The business of an Annual Meeting shall be to receive and consider the
Balance Sheets and Accounts, the reports of the Directors and Auditors, the
<PAGE>
-7-
election of Directors and the appointment of Auditors of the Company, in the
place of those retiring by rotation or otherwise, and the transaction of any
other business which, under these presents, ought to be transacted at an Annual
Meeting, and any business which is brought under consideration by the Report of
the Directors laid before such meeting. All other business transacted at an
ANNUAL MEETING and all business transacted at an EXTRAORDINARY MEETING shall be
deemed special.
28.
Three members entitled to vote, personally present, or if a member is a
body corporate, represented, shall constitute a quorum at all general meetings,
and no business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless the requisite
quorum be present.
29.
The Chairman of Directors, or in his absence the Deputy Chairman (if any)
shall be entitled to take the chair at every General Meeting. If there be no
Chairman or Deputy Chairman, or, if at any meeting he shall not be present
within ten minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, or is
unwilling to act, the Directors may choose a Chairman, and in default of their
doing so, the members present shall choose, one of the Directors to be Chairman,
and if no Director present be willing to take the Chair, shall choose one of
their number to be Chairman.
30.
If within half-an-hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is
not present, the meeting, if convened upon such requisition as aforesaid, shall
be dissolved; but in any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in
the next week at the same time and place, or to such other day, time and place
as the Directors may by notice to the shareholders appoint.
31.
Every question submitted to a meeting shall be decided by the vote of a
majority of the shares represented at the meeting, whether in person or by
proxy.
32.
At any General Meeting, unless a poll is duly demanded in terms of the
Companies Act a declaration by the Chairman that a resolution has been carried,
or carried by a particular majority, shall be final, and an entry to that effect
in the book of proceedings of the Company shall be conclusive evidence of the
fact, without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favor
of or against such Resolution.
<PAGE>
-8-
33.
If a poll is demanded as aforesaid, it shall be taken in such manner and
at such time and Place as the Chairman of the meeting directs, and either at
once or after an interval or adjournment, and the result of the poll shall be
deemed to be the Resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded. The
demand of a poll may be withdrawn. In case of any dispute as to the admission or
rejection of a vote, the Chairman shall determine the same and such
determination made in good faith shall be final and conclusive.
34.
The Chairman of a General Meeting may, with the consent of the Meeting,
adjourn the same from time to time and from place to place, but no business
shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left
unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place, and the
Chairman shall adjourn a general meeting as required by the Companies Act.
35.
The demand of a poll shall not prevent the continuance of a meeting for
the transaction of any business other than the question on which a poll has been
demanded. A poll demanded on a question of adjournment shall be taken at the
meeting without adjournment.
VOTES OF MEMBERS
36.
Every holder of Shares present in person or represented by proxy at a
general meeting of the Company shall be entitled to one vote for each share held
by him on a show of hands and at a poll every holder of shares present in person
or represented by proxy shall be entitled to one vote for every share held by
him.
37.
Any person entitled under the Transmission Article to transfer any share
may vote at any General Meeting in respect thereof in the same manner as if he
were the registered holder of such shares, provided that 48 hours at least
before the time of holding the meeting, or adjourned meeting, as the case may
be, at which the person proposes to vote, he shall satisfy the Directors of his
right to transfer such shares, unless the Directors shall have previously
admitted his right to vote at such meeting in respect thereof.
38.
Where there are joint registered holders of any share, any one of such
persons may vote at any meeting, either personally or by proxy, in respect of
such share as if he were solely entitled thereto; and if more than one of such
joint holders be present at any meeting, personally or by proxy, that one of the
said persons so present whose name stands first on the register in respect of
such shares shall alone be entitled to vote in respect thereof. Where there are
several executors or administrators of a deceased member in whose sole names any
<PAGE>
-9-
shares stand, any of such Executors or Administrators may vote in respect of
such share, unless any other of such Executors or Administrators is present at
the meeting at which such a vote is tendered, and objects to the vote.
39.
Votes may be given in person, electronically or by proxy. A proxy may be
appointed in writing or electronically, via telephone, facsimile, computer or
any other method to deliver an instrument that will enable a shareholders to
appoint a proxy to vote the shareholders' shares at a meeting. If the
shareholder is a company or corporation, the proxy shall be executed or signed
in such form as will be binding under the governing documents of that company,
or shall be in the form of a resolution of the board of the company, certified
by the chairman or secretary of that board. The holder of the power of attorney
of a shareholder may (if so authorized by the power of attorney) appoint a proxy
or vote for and represent that shareholder at any meeting of the Company.
40.
No instrument appointing a proxy shall be valid after the expiration of
eleven months from the date of its execution.
41.
A vote in accordance with the terms of an instrument of proxy shall be
valid notwithstanding the previous death of the principal, or revocation of the
power, or transfer of the share in respect of which the vote is given, provided
no intimation in writing of the death, revocation or transfer shall have been
received at the office or by the Chairman of the meeting before the vote is
given.
42.
Every instrument of proxy whether for a specified meeting or otherwise
shall, as nearly as circumstances will admit, be in such form as the Directors
may approve.
DIRECTORS
43.
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act, unless otherwise
determined by the Company by special resolution at a general meeting, the number
of Directors shall not be less than five (5) nor more than fifteen (15). At
least a majority of the Directors of the Company shall at all times be citizens
and residents of the United States of America.
<PAGE>
-10-
44.
A Director shall not, until otherwise determined by a General Meeting, be
required to hold any shares in the capital of the Company as a qualification for
office.
45.
Unless otherwise determined by the Company in General Meeting, the
Directors shall be paid out of the funds of the Company by way of remuneration
for their services at the rate determined by them from time to time.
46.
The Directors shall be paid all their traveling and other expenses
properly and necessarily expended by them in and about the business of the
Company, including their attendance at meetings of the Board of Directors of the
Company wherever held, and if any Director shall be required to perform extra
services, or to go or reside abroad, or shall be otherwise specially occupied
about the Company's business, he shall be entitled to receive a remuneration to
be fixed by the Directors, and such remuneration may be either in addition to or
in substitution for his remuneration provided for in the last preceding Article.
47.
The continuing Directors may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their
body; but so that if the number falls below the minimum above fixed the
Directors shall not, except for the purpose of filling up vacancies, set so long
as the number is below the minimum.
48.
The office of a Director shall ipso facto be vacated-
(a) If he becomes insolvent or suspends payment or compounds with his
creditors;
(b) If he becomes lunatic or of unsound mind;
(c) If he ceases to hold the number of shares, if any, required to
qualify him for office, or fails to acquire the same within two
months after his election or appointment;
(d) if he absents himself from the meetings of the Directors for a
period of six months without special leave of absence from the
Board, and the Board resolves that his office be vacated;
(e) if by notice in writing to the Company he resigns office;
(f) if he be removed from office by an Ordinary resolution of the
Company;
<PAGE>
-11-
(g) If he becomes prohibited from being a Director by reason of any
Order made under the Companies Act.
49.
No Director shall be disqualified by his office from holding an office or
place of profit under the Company, or under any company in which this Company
shall be a shareholder or otherwise interested, or from contracting with the
Company either as vendor, purchaser or otherwise, nor shall any such contract,
or arrangement entered into by or on behalf of the Company in which any Director
shall be in any way interested be avoided, nor shall any Director be liable to
account to the Company for any profit arising from any such office or place of
profit, or realized by any such contract or arrangement, by reason only of such
Director holding that office, or the fiduciary relation thereby established, but
it is declared that the nature of his interest must be disclosed by him at the
meeting of the Directors at which the contract or arrangement is first taken
into consideration, if his interest then exists, or in any other case at the
first meeting of the Directors after the acquisition of his interest. If a
Director becomes interested in a contract or arrangement after it is made or
entered into, the disclosure of his interest shall be made at the first meeting
of the Directors after he becomes so interested. No Director shall, as a
Director, vote in respect of any contract or arrangement in which he is so
interested as aforesaid, nor shall he be counted in determining whether a quorum
is present for the purpose of voting on such contract or arrangement, and if he
does so vote, his vote shall not be counted but this prohibition shall not apply
to any contract by or on behalf of the Company to give to the Directors, or any
of them, any security for advances, or by way of indemnity, or to contract or
deal with a corporation of which the Directors of this Company or any of them
may be directors or members or employees. No Director shall be appointed to any
office or place of profit in this Company or to any office or place of profit or
a Director under a company subsidiary to this Company, unless the appointment
and the remuneration be determined by a disinterested quorum of Directors.
A General Notice that a Director is a member of any specified firm or
company, and is to be regarded as interested in all transactions with that firm
or company, shall be a sufficient disclosure under this clause as regards such
Director and the said transactions, and after such general notice, it shall not
be necessary for such Director to give a special notice relating to any
particular transaction with that firm or Company. Nothing herein contained shall
be taken or construed to prevent or debar any Director as a shareholder from
taking part in and voting upon all questions submitted to a shareholders'
meeting, whether such Director shall be personally interested or concerned in
such question or not, subject to the provisions of the Companies Act.
The foregoing provisions of this Article are subject to the restrictions
imposed by Article 101.
<PAGE>
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ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
50.
At each Annual Meeting of shareholders all of the Directors shall retire
and their successors shall be elected by the shareholders. A retiring Director
shall act as a Director throughout the meeting at which he retires.
51.
Retiring Directors shall be eligible for re-election. The power to elect
Directors at meetings other than Annual Meetings shall be exercisable only by
Special Resolution.
52.
Subject to the preceding clause, the Company in general meeting at which
any Directors retire in manner aforesaid, may fill up the vacated offices by
electing a like number of persons to be Directors, and may fill up any other
vacancies.
53.
If at any general meeting at which an election of Directors ought to take
place, the place of any retiring Director is not filled up he shall, if willing,
continue in office until the Annual Meeting in the next year, and so on from
year to year until his place is filled up, unless it shall be determined at such
meeting on due notice, to reduce the number of Directors in office.
54.
[Pursuant to a special resolution adopted at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders
held February 8, 1991, Article 54 has been deleted in its entirety]
55.
The Company may by Ordinary Resolution remove any Director before the
expiration of his period of office and may by Ordinary Resolution appoint
another qualified person in his stead.
56.
The Directors shall comply with the provisions of the Companies Act in
regard to keeping a register of Directors or Managers, and notify changes to the
Registrar of Companies.
PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS
57.
The Directors may meet together at any place, within the United States of
America, South Africa or any other jurisdiction in the world, at such time and
upon such notice, if any, as the Board of Directors may by resolution, from time
to time, determine, for the dispatch of business. Provided that, immediately
after the Annual Meeting of Shareholders in each year there shall be held a
meeting of such of the Directors as are then present (provided they shall
constitute a quorum) without further notice, for the election and/or appointment
of officers of the Company, and the transaction of such other business as may
<PAGE>
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come before them. The Directors may adjourn and otherwise regulate their
meetings as they think fit, and may determine the quorum necessary for the
transaction of business, provided, however, that in no event shall the quorum be
less than one-third of the Directors in office or less than five Directors, and
no business shall be transacted at any meeting unless Directors who are citizens
and residents of the United States are present in a number constituting at least
50% of the quorum.
58.
A Director may at any time, and the Secretary upon the requisition of a
Director shall, convene a meeting of the Directors. A Director shall be entitled
to reasonable notice of all meetings of Directors. The Directors shall convene
an Extraordinary Meeting of the Company as required by the Companies Act.
59.
A Director shall not have the power to appoint an alternate to act in his
stead.
60.
Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes,
and in case of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting
vote.
61.
If at any meeting the Chairman of the Board is not present within
half-an-hour of the time appointed for holding the same, the Directors present
shall choose some one of their number to be Chairman of such meeting.
62.
A meeting of the Directors at which a quorum is present shall be competent
to exercise all or any of the authorities, powers and discretions by or under
the Articles of the Company for the time being vested in or exercisable by the
Directors generally.
63.
All acts done at any meeting of the Directors, or by any person acting as
a Director shall, notwithstanding that it shall afterwards be discovered that
there was some defect in the appointment of such Directors or persons acting as
aforesaid, or that they or any of them were disqualified, be as valid as if
every such person had been duly appointed and was qualified to be a Director.
<PAGE>
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64.
A Resolution in writing signed by all the Directors shall be as valid and
effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Directors duly called and
constituted.
65.
A Director may be employed by or hold any office of profit under the
Company in conjunction with the office of Director other than that of Auditor of
the Company, and on such terms as to remuneration and otherwise as a
disinterested quorum of Directors may arrange.
SEAL
66.
The Company may be provided with a Common Seal on which its name shall be
engraved in legible characters, and the Company may from time to time exercise
the powers given by the Companies Act with respect to official seals in foreign
countries, and such powers shall be vested in the Directors. The Common Seal of
the Company shall not be affixed to any instrument except by the authority of a
Resolution of the Directors and in the presence of at least one Director and of
the Secretary, or such other person as the Directors may appoint for the
purpose, and that Director and the Secretary or other person as aforesaid, shall
sign every instrument to which the Seal of the Company is so affixed in their
presence. Every instrument to which the Seal is so affixed and which is so
signed, shall be binding on the Company.
POWERS OF DIRECTORS
67.
The management of the business of the Company shall be vested in the
Directors, and the Directors, in addition to the powers and authorities by these
presents expressly conferred upon them may, subject to the second proviso
hereinafter mentioned, exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things
as may be exercised or done by the Company, and are not hereby or by the
Companies Act directed or required to be exercised or done by the Company in
general meeting, but subject, nevertheless, to the provisions of the Companies
Act and of these presents; and provided further that although the Directors
shall have power to enter into a provisional contract for the sale or
abandonment of all, or the major portion of the property or assets of the
Company or the absolute alienation of the hole or the major portion of the
movable and immovable property of the Company and the rights belonging thereto
or connected therewith, such provisional contract shall only become binding on
the Company in the event of the same being ratified and confirmed by a
Resolution passed by a majority of the votes of the Members present in person or
by proxy at an Extraordinary Meeting convened for that purpose. All the
provisions of these presents as to general meetings shall apply mutatis mutandis
to meetings convened under this Article.
<PAGE>
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67 BIS.
(a) The Directors may delegate any of their powers to a committee or
committees consisting of such members of their body as they think
fit. Any committee so formed shall, in the exercise of the powers so
delegated, conform to any rules issued by the Directors from time to
time. At least a majority of the members of each such committee
shall at all times be citizens and residents of the United States of
America.
(b) Any Director who serves on any committee may be paid such extra
remuneration, in addition to any other remuneration to which he may
be entitled as a Director, as the Directors may determine.
68.
The Directors may take all steps which may be necessary or expedient in
order to enable the shares of the Company to be introduced into and dealt in,
any country, dominion, colony or state, and to procure the same to be listed on
or recognized by and specially quoted upon any Stock Exchange in any country,
and may accept responsibility for and pay and discharge all taxes, duties, fees,
expenses or other sums which may be payable in relation to any of the matters
aforesaid, and may subscribe and comply with the laws and regulations of any
such country and the rules and regulations of any such exchange.
TRANSFER OFFICES
69.
Without prejudice to the general powers conferred by these presents, it is
hereby expressly declared that the Directors shall be entrusted with the power
to open Transfer offices of the Company and to cause a register of the members
of the Company to be kept in New York and elsewhere, and to close the same at
discretion, and to appoint and remove agents to represent the Company for the
issue, sub-division and transmission of shares, subject to the provisions of
these presents, and for such other purposes of the Directors may (subject to
these Articles) determine.
DIVIDEND
70.
The Directors may declare dividends to be paid to the members in
proportion to the number of their shares.
71.
No dividend shall be payable except out of the profits of the Company, and
no dividend shall carry interest as against the Company. Any dividend remaining
unclaimed for a space of 12 (twelve) years from the declaration thereof may be
forfeited by Resolution of the Directors for the benefit of the Company. The
Directors may at any time annul such forfeiture upon such conditions (if any) as
<PAGE>
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they think fit. All unclaimed dividends may be invested or otherwise made use of
by the Directors for the benefit of the Company.
72.
In case several persons are registered as the joint holders of any share,
any one of such persons may give effectual receipts for all dividends and
payments on account of dividends in respect of such shares. Each dividend may be
paid by check or otherwise, as the Directors may from time to time determine and
may be sent by post to the last registered address of the member entitled
thereto or any other address requested by him, or in the case of joint
registered holders, to that one of them first named in the register in respect
of such joint holding.
73.
The Directors declaring a dividend may resolve that such dividend be paid
wholly or in part by the distribution of specific assets, and in particular, of
paid-up shares of the Company, or paid-up shares of any other company, or in any
or more of such ways.
CAPITALIZATION
74.
Any general meeting may resolve that any moneys, investments or other
assets forming part of the undivided profits of the Company standing to the
credit of the Reserve Fund, or any capital reserve fund, or in the hands of the
Company and available for dividend (or representing premiums received on the
issue of shares and standing to the credit of the share premium account) be
capitalized and distributed amongst such of the shareholders as would be
entitled to receive the same if distributed by way of dividend.
75.
For the purpose of giving effect to any resolution under the three last
preceding Articles, the Directors may settle any difficulty which may arise in
regard to the distribution as they think expedient, and in particular, may issue
fractional certificates, and may fix the value for distribution of any specific
assets, and may determine that cash payments shall be made to any members upon
the footing of the value so fixed, or that fractions of less value than one Rand
may be disregarded in order to adjust the rights of all parties, and may vest
any such cash or specific assets in trustees upon such trusts for the persons
entitled to the dividend or capitalized fund as may seem expedient to the
Directors. Where requisite a proper contract shall be delivered to the Registrar
for registration in accordance with the Companies Act and the Directors may
appoint any person to sign such contract on behalf of the persons entitled to
the dividend or capitalized fund, and such appointment shall be effective.
<PAGE>
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RESERVE FUND
76.
The Directors may, before declaring any dividend, set aside out of the
amount available for dividend, such sum as they think proper as a Reserve Fund
or an addition thereto. The Directors may employ the Reserve Fund in the
business of the Company.
77.
The Reserve Fund shall at the discretion of the Directors be applicable
for the equalization of dividends, or for making provision for exceptional
losses, expenses or contingencies, or the extension or development of the
Company's business, or for writing down the value of any of the assets of the
Company, or for repairing, improving and maintaining any buildings, plant,
machinery or works connected with the business of the Company, or to cover the
loss in wear and tear or other depreciation in value of any property of the
Company, or for any of the objects of the Company as defined by the Company's
Memorandum of Association, or for any other purpose to which the profits of the
Company may at any time be properly applied, and the Directors may at any time
divide among the members by way of bonus or special dividends any part of the
Reserve Fund which they in their discretion may determine not to be required for
the purposes aforesaid.
ACCOUNTS
78.
The Directors shall cause true accounts to be kept of the sums of money
received and expended by the Company, and the matters in respect of which such
receipts and expenditure takes place, and of the assets, credits and liabilities
of the Company. The books of account shall be kept at the office of the Company,
or at such place or places as the Directors think fit.
79.
The Directors shall from time to time determine whether and to what extent
and at what times and places, and under what conditions or regulations, the
accounts and books of the Company, or any of them, shall be open to the
inspection of members, and no member (not being a Director) shall have any right
of inspecting any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred
by the Companies Act or authorized by the Directors.
80.
At the Annual Meeting to be held in every year, the Directors shall lay
before the Company a Profit and Loss Account and a Balance Sheet, containing a
summary of the property and liabilities of the Company, made up to a date not
more than six months before the meeting.
<PAGE>
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81.
Every such Profit and Loss Account and Balance Sheet shall be accompanied
by a Report of the Directors as to the state and condition of the Company; and
the Profit and Loss Account, Report and Balance Sheet shall be signed by two
Directors and countersigned by the Secretary.
82.
A copy of every such Profit and Loss Account, Balance Sheet and Report
shall be sent at least 21 (twenty-one) days previously to the meeting to each of
the registered holders of shares whose address is given in the Register of
Members.
AUDIT
83.
Once at least in every year the Accounts of the Company shall be examined,
and the correctness of the Profit and Loss Account and Balance Sheet ascertained
by one or more Auditor or Auditors.
84.
The duly appointed Auditors of the Company shall, subject to the
provisions of the Companies Act hold office until another appointment or other
appointments to the office shall be made at the Annual Meeting of the Company,
and the provisions of the Companies Act shall apply to and be complied with in
connection with any appointment proposed to be made, or made, of an Auditor or
Auditors of the Company. The remuneration of the Auditor or Auditors shall be
fixed by the Company at the Annual Meeting.
85.
An Auditor may not be a member of the Company. No Director, Manager,
Secretary, or other officer of the Company shall be eligible for the post of
Auditor during his continuance in office.
86.
The appointment, powers, rights, remunerations and duties of the Auditors
shall be regulated by the provisions of the Companies Act. Any casual vacancy
occurring in the office of an Auditor may be filled up by the Directors, and any
person so appointed shall, subject to the provisions of the Companies Act,
continue in office until the Annual Meeting next after his appointment but while
any such vacancy continues the surviving and continuing Auditor or Auditors (if
any) may continue to act.
87.
The Auditors shall be supplied with copies of the Balance Sheet and Profit
and Loss Account to be laid before the Company in general meeting. The Auditors
shall make a report to the members upon the Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss
<PAGE>
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Account in terms of the Companies Act and such report shall be read to the
members at such meeting. The Auditors shall at all reasonable times have access
to the books and accounts of the Company, and they may, in relation thereto,
examine the Directors or other officers of the Company.
88.
Every account of the Directors, when audited and approved by a general
meeting shall be conclusive, except as regards any error discovered therein
within three months next after the approval thereof, subject to any requirements
of the Companies Act or Section 17(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 of
the United States of America.
NOTICES
89.
A notice shall be given or served by the Company upon any member either
personally or by sending it through the post in a prepaid letter, envelope or
wrapper addressed to such member at his registered address.
90.
Each holder of registered shares shall notify in writing to the Company an
address, which address shall be his registered address within the meaning of the
last preceding Article.
91.
All notices may, with respect to any registered shares to which persons
are jointly entitled, be given to whichever of such persons is named first on
the register and notice so given shall be sufficient notice to all the holders
of such shares.
92.
Any notice sent by post shall be deemed to have been served on the day on
which the letter, envelope or wrapper containing the same is posted, and in
proving such service it shall be sufficient to prove that the letter, envelope
or wrapper containing the notice was properly addressed and put in the Post
Office.
93.
Every person who by operation of law, transfer or other means whatsoever
shall become entitled to any share, shall be bound by every notice in respect of
such share which, previously to his name and address being entered in the
Register, shall have been given to the person from whom he derives his title to
such share.
<PAGE>
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94.
Any notice or document delivered or sent by post to, or left at the
registered address of any member in pursuance of these presents, shall,
notwithstanding that such member was then deceased, and whether or not the
Company have notice of his decease, be deemed to have been duly served in
respect of any registered shares, whether held solely or jointly with other
persons by such member until some other person be registered in his stead, as
the Joint holder thereof, and such service shall, for all purposes or these
presents, be deemed a sufficient service of such notice or document on his or
her heirs, executors or administrators, and all persons (if any) jointly
interested with him or her in any such shares.
95.
Where a given number of days notice, or notice extending over any other
period is required to be given, the day of service shall not, except if it be
otherwise provided, be counted in such number of days or other period.
96.
The signature to any notice given by the Company may be written or
printed.
97.
Any notice required to be given by the Company to the members, or any of
them, and not expressly provided for by these presents, shall be sufficiently
given if given by advertisement. Any notice required to be, or which may be
given by advertisement shall, subject to the provisions of the Companies Act, be
advertised in a leading New York newspaper and in a newspaper circulating in the
town or district where the office of the Company is situated. Any notice given
by advertisement shall be deemed to have been served on the first day when the
newspaper containing such advertisement shall be published.
UNITED STATES REQUIREMENTS
101.
Notwithstanding anything elsewhere provided the following Articles shall
be deemed to apply and shall be given effect to, whether or not inconsistent
with the provisions of any other Articles; and the Articles of the Company and
the provisions of the Memorandum of Association of the Company shall be
enforceable at the instance of a member and/or the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission to the extent and for the purposes determined by agreement
between the Board of Directors of the Company and the said Commission from time
to time; and the Board of Directors are hereby empowered especially to agree to
such conditions and to enter into such undertakings and contracts with the said
Commission as it may require to secure registration of the Company under Section
7(d) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 of the United States of America and
to comply with the requirements of the said Act and any rules, regulations or
orders of the said Commission, and in particular to consent to the jurisdiction
of the said Commission or any relevant or appropriate Courts of Law in the
United States of America on all matters required by the said Commission.
<PAGE>
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For the purposes hereof the By-Laws shall be deemed to be Articles of
Association of the Company or sub-articles thereof and shall be construed
accordingly and given effect to as such.
BY-LAW ONE: DEFINITIONS, INTERPRETATIONS AND REFERENCES.
ARTICLE 1.1 DEFINITIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Wherever used in the Memorandum of Association of the Company or in these
By-Laws, the following terms, which are defined in the Investment Company Act of
1940 of the United States of America, shall have the meanings assigned to them
by said Act except as otherwise provided in Article 1.2 hereof:
Advisory board
Affiliated company
Affiliated person
Assignment
Bank
Broker
Closed-end company
Company (other than "the Company")
Control
Convicted
Dealer
Director
Diversified company
Exchange
Interstate commerce
Investment adviser
Investment banker
Investment company
Issuer
Lend
Borrow
Majority-owned subsidiary
Management company
Means or instrumentalities of Interstate Commerce
National securities exchange
Non-diversified company
Open-end company
Periodic payment plan
Person
Principal underwriter
Promoter
Prospectus
Redeemable security
Reorganization
<PAGE>
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Sale
Sell
Sales load
Security
Short term paper
State
Underwriter
Unit investment trust
Value
Vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
Securities
Voting security
Wholly-owned subsidiary.
ARTICLE 1.2 OTHER DEFINITIONS
(a) All references in these By-Laws to the "Companies Act" shall mean
the Companies Act, 1926 (as amended) of the Republic of South
Africa.
(b) The term "Investment Company Act", as used in these By-Laws shall
mean the Investment Company Act of 1940 of the United States of
America and any amendments thereof that may hereafter be adopted.
(c) The term "Commission", as used in these By-Laws, shall mean the
Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States of America
or any official or agency of the United States of America succeeding
to the functions thereof.
(d) The term "governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company",
as used in the Memorandum of Association of the Company, shall
include the Commission.
(e) The term "Government securities", as used in these By-Laws shall
mean securities issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest
by the United States of America, the Republic of South Africa, or
by a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an
instrumentality of the Government of the United States of
America, or the Government of the Republic of South Africa
pursuant to authority granted by the Congress of the United
States of America or by the Parliament of the Republic of South
Africa, as the case may be, or any certificate of deposit of the
foregoing.
(f) The term "Insurance company", as used in these By-Laws, shall
mean a company which is organized as an insurance company, those
primary and predominant business activity is the writing of
insurance or the reinsuring of risks underwritten by insurance
companies, and which is subject to the supervision of the
Insurance Commissioner or a similar official or agency of a
nation, state or province; or any receiver or similar official or
any liquidating agent for such a company, in his capacity as such.
<PAGE>
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(g) The term "Investment adviser", as used in the Memorandum of
Association of the Company and Article 8.1 of these By-Laws shall
include an investment adviser as defined in Section 202(11) of the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 of the United States of America.
(h) The term "established securities exchange" as used in these By-Laws
shall mean any national securities exchange and The Johannesburg
Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.
(i) The term "banking institution" as used in Article 3.1 and Article
8.1 of these By-Laws shall mean a bank and any institution wherever
organized performing functions similar to those performed by a bank.
ARTICLE 1.3 REFERENCE TO INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT
Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of the Company's
Memorandum of Association or of these By-laws having a counterpart in or
otherwise derived from a term or provision of the Investment Company Act shall
be resolved by reference to interpretations, if any, of the corresponding term
or provision of the Investment Company Act by the courts of the United States of
America or, in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by
rules, regulations, orders or interpretations of the Commission validly issued
pursuant to said Act.
ARTICLE 1.4 REFERENCE TO COMMISSION RULES
To the extent that the express provisions of the Memorandum of Association
of the Company do not require the contrary, the activities and relations of the
Company and of its officers, directors and security holders as such, the
provisions of these By-Laws and the application hereof and of the Memorandum of
Association shall, when and so long as the Company shall be registered under the
Investment Company Act, be governed by and subject to such rules, regulations
and orders as the Commission shall, in the valid exercise of its authority under
said Act, make, issue, amend, or rescind as necessary or appropriate to the
exercise of the powers conferred upon the Commission by said Act and as shall be
applicable to the Company or to any of its officers, directors or security
holders as such or to investment companies of the closed-end management type
organized under the laws of the United States of America or of any State,
territory or possession thereof and registered under said Act, including (but
not limited to) rules, regulations and orders furnishing conditional or
unconditional exemptions from any provision of said Act or of any rule or
regulation thereunder, defining accounting, technical and trade terms used in
said Act, prescribing the form or forms in which information required in
registration statements, applications and reports to the Commission shall be set
forth, or authorizing the filing of any information or documents required to be
filed with the Commission by the incorporation by reference of information or
documents theretofore or concurrently filed with said Commission. (Investment
Company Act, S.6(c) S.38(a) and S.38(b).)
<PAGE>
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ARTICLE 1.5 PROTECTION OF ACTION IN RELIANCE ON COMMISSION RULES
Irrespective of any provision of these By-Laws, no director, officer or
other employee of the Company shall be liable to the Company or to any holder of
its securities, for any act done or omitted in good faith in conformity with any
rule, regulation or order of the Commission, notwithstanding that such rule,
regulation, or order may, after such act or omission, be amended or rescinded or
be determined by judicial or other authority to be invalid for any reason. The
aforegoing is subject, however, to the requirements of the Companies Act.
(Investment Company Act, S.38(c).)
BY-LAW TWO: SITUATION OF OFFICES
ARTICLE 2.1 SITUATION OF OFFICES
(a) The head office of the Company shall be in Johannesburg, the
Republic of South Africa, and the registered office shall as
required by law be situated in the Republic of South Africa.
(b) The Company, in addition to its head office, may establish and
maintain such offices and places of business within the Republic of
South Africa and agencies within or without the said Republic as the
Board of Directors may, from time to time, determine.
BY-LAW THREE: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ARTICLE 3.1 Number and Qualifications of Directors:
ADVISORY BOARD
(a) The Board of Directors of the Company shall consist of not less
than five nor more than fifteen Directors and the total number of
Directors to hold office at any time shall be fixed from time to
time by the Board of Directors. Not less than a majority of the
Directors in office at any time must be citizens and residents of
the United States of America. When and so long as the Company
shall be registered under the Investment Company Act, not more
than sixty percent (60%) of the members of the Board of Directors
shall be persons who are Investment Advisors of, affiliated
persons of an Investment Advisor, or Officers or employees, of
the Company, nor shall a majority of the Board of Directors
consist of Persons who are officers or Directors of` any one
banking institution. If the Company shall at any time have an
advisory board, such board, as a distinct entity, shall be
subject to the same restrictions as to its membership as are
imposed upon the Board of Directors by this paragraph (a).
(Investment Company Act, S.10(a), S.10(c) and S.10(g).)
(b) If by reason of the death, disqualification or bona fide
resignation of any Director or Directors, the requirements of
paragraph (a) of this Article 3.1 shall not be met, the operation
of such requirements shall be suspended for a period of 30
(thirty) days if the vacancy or vacancies may be filled by action
of the Board of Directors, and for a period of 60 (sixty) days if
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a vote of Shareholders is required to fill the vacancy or
vacancies, or for such longer period as the Commission may
prescribe, by rules and regulations upon its own motion or by
order upon application, as not inconsistent with the protection
of investors. (Investment Company Act, S.10(e).)
ARTICLE 3.2 POWER TO ALLOT AND SELL STOCK
When and so long as the Company shall be registered under the Investment
Company Act, it shall not issue any warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase
a security of which the Company is the issuer, except in the form of warrants or
rights to subscribe expiring not later than 120 (one hundred and twenty) days
after their issuance and issued exclusively and ratably to a class or classes of
the Company's security holders; except that any warrant may be issued in
exchange for outstanding warrants in connection with a plan of reorganization.
(Investment Company Act, S-18(d).)
ARTICLE 3.3 POWER TO DECLARE DIVIDENDS
(a) In the event that the Company shall, at any time while it is
registered under the Investment Company Act, pay any dividend, or
make any distribution in the nature of a dividend payment, wholly or
partly from any source other than
(i) the Company's accumulated undistributed net income, determined
in accordance with good accounting practice and not including
profits or losses realized upon the sale of securities or
other properties, or
(ii) the Company's net income so determined for the current or
preceding financial year, such payment shall be accompanied by
a written statement which adequately discloses the source or
sources of such payment, such statement to be in such form as
the Commission may prescribe by rules and regulations in the
public interest and for the protection of investors.
(Investment Company Act, S.19.)
ARTICLE 3.4 POWER TO BORROW AND HYPOTHECATE
(a) When authorized by resolution of the Board of Directors, the
Company may borrow money upon the credit of the Company, may
issue bills of exchange, promissory notes or other instruments as
evidence of the indebtedness contracted, and may mortgage,
hypothecate, charge or secure any such indebtedness, PROVIDED,
--------
that when and so long as the Company shall be registered under
the Investment Company Act, it shall not borrow any money except
as follows:
(1) The Company may borrow money of any currency, in any amount
and on any terms that the Board of Directors may deem
advisable, provided that no such borrowing shall (a) result in
the Company's total indebtedness for borrowed money
immediately after such borrowing having an asset coverage of
less than 300 per centum (securities listed on The
<PAGE>
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Johannesburg Stock Exchange to be valued for this purpose at
their then current market value on such exchange), or (b) be
secured by the pledge, mortgage or hypothecation of any of the
Company's assets.
(2) The Board of Directors by resolution may delegate to any of
its members or to any of the executive officers of the Company
the powers described in paragraph (a) of this Article 3.4
either with respect to a particular transaction or in general.
ARTICLE 3.5 TIME, PLACE AND NOTICE OF MEETING
(a) Immediately after the Annual Meeting of Shareholders in each year
there shall be held a meeting of such of the Directors as are then
present (provided they shall constitute a quorum) without further
notice, for the election and/or appointment of officers of the
Company, and the transaction of such other business as may come
before them.
(b) The Directors may meet together at any place, within the United
States of America, South Africa or any other jurisdiction in the
world at such time and upon notice, if any, as the Board of
Directors may by resolution, from time to time, determine.
(c) Any meeting of the Board of Directors convened otherwise than in
conformity with the foregoing provisions of this Article 3.5 shall
be a Special Meeting.
(d) Special Meetings of the Board may be called at any time by the
Chairman or the Deputy Chairman or any two Directors and notice
specifying the place, day and hour of each such meeting shall be
served upon each of the Directors or left at his usual residence
or place of business, or shall be mailed, postage prepaid, or
sent by telegram or cable, addressed to each of the Directors at
his address as it appears on the books of the Company, at least 2
(two) days prior to the date fixed for such meeting. If the
address of any Director does not appear in the books of the
Company then such notice shall be mailed to such Director at such
address as the person sending the notice may consider to be the
most likely to result in such notice promptly reaching such
Director. Any Special meeting so called may be held at the head
office of the Company or any other place, within or without the
Republic of South Africa, which shall have been approved by
resolution of the Directors.
(e) Special Meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at any time
and place and for any purpose without notice when all of the
Directors are present or when all Directors not present shall have,
in writing, waived notice of the holding of such meeting. All or any
of the Directors may waive notice of any meeting either before or
after the meeting is held.
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ARTICLE 3.6 RESIGNATIONS, VACANCIES, ADDITIONAL DIRECTORS
Any Director may at any meeting of the Directors tender his resignation
and the remaining Directors may at such meeting accept the same and forthwith
fill the vacancy thereby created. In case of a vacancy occurring in the Board of
Directors between Annual Meetings of Shareholders called for the purpose of
electing a Director or Directors, as a result of death, resignation,
disqualification, an increase in the total number of Directors holding office at
any time or other cause, the Directors then in office by the affirmative vote of
a majority of such said remaining Directors shall have power to fill such
vacancy, provided that immediately after filling such vacancy at least
two-thirds of the Directors then holding office shall have been elected to such
office by the Shareholders. In the event that at any time less than a majority
of the Directors of the Company holding office at that time were so elected by
the Shareholders a meeting of the Shareholders shall be held promptly as
possible and in any event within 60 (sixty) days for the purpose of electing
Directors to fill any existing vacancies in the Board of Directors unless the
Commission shall by order extend such period. (Investment Company Act, S.16(a).)
BY-LAW FOUR: OFFICERS
ARTICLE 4.1 EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The Executive Officers of the Company shall be the Chairman of the Board,
the Deputy Chairman, a Treasurer and a Secretary and such other officers as the
Board of Directors may approve, including one or more Vice-Presidents. There may
also be appointed as Executive Officers one or more Assistant Secretaries and/or
Assistant Treasurers. Such Officers shall be elected or appointed by the Board
of Directors at its first meeting after the First General Meeting of
Shareholders and thereafter at the First Meeting of the Board of Directors after
each Annual Meeting of Shareholders and such Officers of the Company shall hold
office until their successors are chosen and qualified in their stead. There may
also be appointed such other officers as the Board of Directors may, from time
to time, deem necessary. Such officers shall respectively perform such duties,
in addition to those specified in the By-Laws of the Company as shall, from time
to time, be prescribed by the Board of Directors. A majority of the officers,
including the Chairman of the Board, shall at all times be citizens and
residents of the United States of America.
ARTICLE 4.2 CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
The Chairman of the Board shall be chosen from among the Directors. He
shall preside at all meetings of the Shareholders and at all meetings of the
Board of Directors at which he shall be present and shall be ex officio a member
of all committees of the Board of Directors. He shall be the chief executive
officer of the Company and have the direction and control of the general
policies of the Company and may require all officers, whether elected or
appointed, to report to him, in writing or otherwise, either generally or in
respect to any particular matter or matters relating to the affairs of the
Company. He shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be
assigned to him from time to time by the Board of Directors. In the performance
of all his duties and the exercise of all his powers, he shall be responsible
solely to the Board of Directors.
<PAGE>
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Article 4.3 DEPUTY CHAIRMAN
The Deputy Chairman shall be chosen from among the Directors. In the
absence of the Chairman of the Board, he shall preside at all meetings of the
Shareholders and at all meetings of the Board of Directors and shall exercise
the powers and perform the duties of the Chairman of the Board. Subject to such
direction and control as the Chairman of the Board may exercise, the Deputy
Chairman shall exercise a general control of and supervision over the Company's
affairs. He shall have such other powers and duties as the Board of Directors
may, from time to time, determine.
ARTICLE 4.4 TREASURER AND ASSISTANT TREASURERS
(a) The Treasurer shall have general-charge of the finances of the
Company. He shall render to the Board of Directors, whenever
directed by the Board, an account of the financial condition of
the Company and of all his transactions as Treasurer, and as soon
as possible after the close of each financial year he shall make
and submit to the Board of Directors a like report for such
financial year. He shall have charge and custody of and be
responsible for the keeping of the books of account required
under the Companies Act. He shall perform all the acts
incidental to the office of Treasurer, subject to the control of
the Board of Directors.
(b) Assistant Treasurers may perform any of the duties of the
Treasurer.
ARTICLE 4.5 SECRETARY AND ASSISTANT SECRETARIES
(a) The Secretary shall attend to the giving and service of all
notices of the Company and shall keep the minutes of all meetings
of the Shareholders and of the Board of Directors in a book or
books to be kept for that purpose. He shall keep in safe custody
the seal of the Company. He shall have charge of the records of
the Company including books containing the names and addresses of
the Shareholders and members of the Board of Directors of the
Company, together with copies of all reports made by the Company,
and such other books and papers as the Board of Directors may
direct. He shall be responsible for the keeping and filing of
all books, reports, certificates and other documents required by
law to be kept and filed by the Company. He shall perform such
other duties as appertain to his office or as may be required by
the Board of Directors. Whenever the Secretary shall also be the
Treasurer he may at the option of the Board be designated the
"Secretary-Treasurer".
(b) Assistant Secretaries may perform the duties of the Secretary.
ARTICLE 4.6 REMOVAL
The Board of Directors, by an affirmative vote of the majority of the
Board, may remove any or all of the Executive Officers or other officers or
employees, either with or without cause, at any meeting called for that purpose
and may elect or appoint others in their place or places.
<PAGE>
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BY-LAW FIVE: CAPITAL STOCK CERTIFICATES AND TRANSFERS
ARTICLE 5.1 TRANSFER REGULATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS
The Board of Directors may make regulations generally, from time to time,
with reference to the transfer and transmission of the shares in the capital
stock of the Company, PROVIDED, that when and so long as the Company shall be
registered under the Investment Company Act, it shall not restrict the
transferability or negotiability of any shares of its capital stock except in
conformity with the statements with respect thereto contained in its
registration statement under said Act or in contravention of such rules and
regulations as the Commission may prescribe in the interests of the holders of
all of the outstanding securities of the Company. (Investment Company Act,
S.22(f).)
BY-LAW SIX: ACCOUNTS, AUDIT AND REPORTS
ARTICLE 6.1 ACCOUNTS
(a) The Directors shall cause to be kept proper books of account with
respect to all sums of money received and expended by the Company
and the matters in respect of which such receipts and expenditures
take place, all sales and purchases of goods by the Company, the
assets and liabilities of the Company and all other financial
transactions affecting the financial position of the Company.
(b) The books of account shall be kept at the head office of the Company
or at such other place in the Republic of South Africa as the
Directors think fit, and shall at all times be open to inspection by
the Directors.
(c) In case the operating accounts of the Company are kept at some place
outside the Republic of South Africa, there shall be kept at the
head office of the Company such comprehensive records as shall
enable the Directors to ascertain with reasonable accuracy the
financial position of the Company at the end of each three months
period.
ARTICLE 6.2 AUDIT
(a) At least once in every financial period the accounts of the Company
shall be examined and the correctness of the Statement of Income and
Expenditures and of the Balance Sheet ascertained by its Auditor or
Auditors.
(b) The appointment, rights and duties of the Auditor or Auditors of
the Company shall be regulated by the Companies Act, provided,
that, when and so long as the Company shall be registered under
the Investment Company Act, it shall have as one of its Auditors
an independent public accountant or a firm of independent public
accountants qualified to act as an independent public accountant
for the Company under the said Act and the rules thereunder and
regularly doing all or a substantial portion of their business in
<PAGE>
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the United States of America and having a permanent office and
place of business therein, who shall sign and certify financial
statements filed by the Company with the Commission, whose
certificates or reports of such financial statements shall be
addressed both to the Board of Directors and to the security
holders and whose selection and employment shall be subject to
the following conditions:
(1) Such accountant or accountants shall have been selected, at a
meeting held within 30 (thirty) days before or after the
beginning of the financial year of the Company or before the
Annual Meeting of Shareholders in that calendar year, by the
vote, cast in person, of a majority of those members of the
Board of Directors who are not investment advisers of,
affiliated persons of an investment adviser of, officers, or
employees of the Company.
(2) The selection of the independent accountant shall have been
submitted for ratification or rejection at the next succeeding
Annual Meeting of Shareholders in that fiscal year. Any
vacancy occurring between Annual Meetings, due to the death or
resignation of the accountant, may be filled by the vote, cast
in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on
such action, of a majority of those members of the Board of
Directors who are not investment advisers of, affiliated
persons of an investment adviser of, officers, or employees of
the Company.
(3) The employment of such accountant or accountants shall have
been conditioned upon the right of the Company by vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities at any meeting
called for the purpose to terminate such employment forthwith
without any penalty, provided, that if the employment of such
accountant or accountants be so terminated, the vacancy so
occurring may be filled by a vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities, either at the meeting at which
the termination occurred or if not so filled then at a
subsequent meeting which shall be called for the purpose.
(Investment Company Act, S-32(a).)
ARTICLE 6.3 REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS
When and so long as the Company shall be registered under the Investment
Company Act, it shall transmit to its Shareholders, at least semi-annually,
reports containing such of the following information and financial statements or
their equivalent, as of a reasonably current date, as the Commission may
prescribe by rules and regulations for the protection of investors, which
reports shall not be misleading in any material respect in the light of the
reports required to be filed pursuant to Article 6.4 hereof:
(1) a balance sheet accompanied by a statement of the aggregate
value of investments on the date of such balance sheet;
<PAGE>
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(2) a list showing the amounts and values of securities owned
on the date of such balance sheet;
(3) a statement of income, for the period covered by the report,
which shall be itemized at least with respect to each category
of income and expense representing more than 5% (five per
centum) of the total income or expense;
(4) a statement of surplus, which shall be itemized at least with
respect to each charge or credit to the surplus account which
represents more than 5% (five per centum) of the total charges
or credits during the period covered by the report;
(5) a statement of the aggregate remuneration paid by the Company
during the period covered by the report (A) to all directors
and to all members of any advisory board for regular
compensation; (B) to each director and to each member of an
advisory board for special compensation; (C) to all officers;
and (D) to each person of any officer or director of the
Company is an affiliated person; and
(6) a statement of the aggregate dollar amounts of purchases and
sales of investment securities, other than Government
securities, made during the period covered by the report;
PROVIDED, that if in the judgment of the Commission any items required under
this Article 6.3 is inapplicable or inappropriate, the Commission may by rules
and regulations permit in lieu thereof the inclusion of such item of a
comparable character as it may deem applicable or appropriate. (Investment
Company Act, S.30(d).)
ARTICLE 6.4 REPORTS TO COMMISSION
(a) When and so long as the Company shall be registered under the
Investment Company Act, it shall file annually with the
Commission such information, documents and reports as investment
companies having securities registered on a national securities
exchange are required to file annually pursuant to Section 13(a)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 of the United States of
America and the rules and regulations issued thereunder.
(Investment Company Act, S.30(a).)
(b) When and so long as the Company shall be registered under the
Investment Company Act, it shall file with the Commission
(1) such information and documents (other than financial
statements) as the Commission may require, on a semi-annual or
quarterly basis, to keep reasonably current the information
and documents contained in the registration statement of the
Company under the Investment Company Act, and
<PAGE>
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(2) copies of every periodic or interim report or similar
communication containing financial statements and transmitted
to any class of the Company's security holders such copies to
be filed not later than 10 (ten) days after such transmission;
PROVIDED, that any information or documents contained in a report or other
communication to security holders filed pursuant to sub-paragraph (2) of this
paragraph (b) may be incorporated by reference in any report subsequently or
concurrently filed pursuant to sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph (b).
(Investment Company Act, S.30(b).)
ARTICLE 6.5 AUDITORS' CERTIFICATE
Financial statements contained in annual reports required by Articles 6.3
and 6.4 hereof shall, if required by the rules and regulations of the
Commission, be accompanied by a certificate of independent public accountants.
The certificate of such independent public accountants shall be based upon an
audit not less in scope or procedures followed than that which independent
public accountants would ordinarily make for the purpose of presenting
comprehensive and dependable financial statements, and shall contain such
information as the Commission may prescribe, by rules and regulations in the
public interest or for the protection of investors, as to the nature and scope
of the audit and the findings and opinion of the accountants. Each such report
shall state that such independent public accountants have verified securities
owned, either by actual examination, or by receipt of a certificate from the
Custodian of the Company's assets, as the Commission may prescribe by rules and
regulations. (Investment Company Act, S.30(g).)
ARTICLE 6.6 MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS
When and so long as the Company shall be registered under the Investment
Company Act, it shall maintain and preserve for such period or periods as the
Commission may prescribe by rules and regulations, such accounts, books, and
other documents as constitute the record forming the basis for financial
statements required to be filed by Article 6.3 and 6.4 hereof, and of the
auditors' certificates relating thereto. All such accounts, books and other
records shall be subject at any time and from time to time to such reasonable
periodic, special, and other examinations by the Commission, or any member or
representative thereof, as the Commission may prescribe. The Company shall
furnish to the Commission, within such reasonable time as the Commission may
prescribe, copies of or extracts from such records as may be prepared without
undue effort, expense, or delay, as the Commission may by order require.
(Investment Company Act, S.31(a) and S.31(b).)
ARTICLE 6.7 COMMISSION RULES AS TO UNIFORMITY
Unless exempted by order of the Commission, the Company shall, when and so
long as it shall be registered under the Investment Company Act, maintain its
accounting, records and prepare the financial statements required by Articles
6.3 and 6.4 hereof in accordance with such rules and regulations as may be
issued by the Commission, in the public interest or for the protection of
investors, providing for a reasonable degree of uniformity in the accounting
<PAGE>
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policies and principles to be followed by registered investment companies in the
maintenance and preparation of such records and statements.
(Investment Company Act, S-31(c) and S-31(d).)
ARTICLE 6.8 PARTICIPATION BY OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES
The officers and employees of the Company, if any, who may participate in
the preparation of any financial statement of the Company to be filed with the
Commission shall be selected by the Board of Directors. Any such selection may
be general or confined to specific instances or individuals.
(Investment Company Act, S.32(b).)
BY-LAW SEVEN: CUSTODIAN
Article 7.1 Maintenance of Funds, Duplicate
RECORDS ETC., IN UNITED STATES
The Company shall place and at all times maintain a duplicate set of all
its books and records (including account books reflecting all portfolio
transactions, minute books, stock ledger books, and corporate proceedings) in
the United States of America in the custody of a Custodian. The Company shall
place and at all times maintain at least 5% of its assets in the U.S. in the
custody of a U.S. Bank ("5% Requirement"). The Company's remaining assets (which
may include U.S. dollars invested in time deposits and bank certificates of
deposit) will be kept in the custody of a U.S. custodian, except:
(a) subject to the 5% Requirement, up to 100% of securities eligible to
be held in a South African Central Securities Depository ("CSD") may
be kept in the CSD through its custodian and subcustodian;
(b) $200,000 may be kept in cash to cover administrative expenses, to
be kept in a checking account with a South African bank;
(c) up to 3% of its assets may be kept in South Africa in short-term
rand-denominated investments issued or guaranteed by the Republic
of South Africa; and
(d) up to 5% of its assets may be kept in rand-denominated interest
bearing bank accounts with "eligible foreign custodians" or
"overseas branches of qualified United States banks," as those terms
are defined in Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act (as it may be amended).
ASA will settle its purchases and sales of portfolio securities in the
U.S. by use of the mails or means of interstate commerce, except for: (a)
purchases and sales on an "established securities exchange" (defined as a
national securities exchange as defined in section 2(a)(26) of the 1940 Act, the
Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the London Stock Exchange, the Tokyo Stock
Exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange, the Stock Exchange of Melbourne, Ltd., and
the Effektenborsenverein Zurich Exchange (collectively the "Established
Exchanges")) and (b) purchases and sales, through ASA's custodian or custodian's
agent, in South Africa of South African Treasury Bills from or to the South
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African Treasury, South African Reserve Bank securities, or CSD-eligible
securities. Assets purchased on an Established Exchange will be maintained in
the U.S. with Chase, unless prohibited by law or regulation or financially
impracticable. If removal of securities purchased on the Established Exchanges
becomes either prohibited by law or regulation or financially impracticable, up
to 5% of the Company's assets may be held by an eligible foreign custodian or
overseas branch of the custodian in each of London, Japan, Australia,
Switzerland, and Canada. ASA will withdraw its assets from the care of a
subcustodian as soon as practicable, and in any event within 180 days of the
date when a majority of the Board of Directors makes the determination that a
particular subcustodian may no longer be considered eligible under Rule 17f-5 of
the 1940 Act, as it may be amended, or may no longer be considered an overseas
branch of the custodian, or that continuance of the subcustodian arrangement
would not be consistent with the best interests of ASA and its shareholders.
(Investment Company Act, S.17(f)).
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 7.1, the Company
shall at all times maintain its assets in conformity with any order issued by
the Commission.
ARTICLE 7.2 QUALIFICATIONS, APPOINTEMENTS, ETC.
The Custodian shall be a bank, as defined in paragraph (5) of Section 2(a)
of the Investment Company Act, having the qualifications prescribed in paragraph
(1) of Section 26(a) of the Investment Company Act. The Custodian shall be
appointed from time to time by the Board of Directors which shall fix its
remuneration and the conditions under which it shall act which shall be set
forth in a contract which shall provide, amongst other things, that the
Custodian will (i) consummate all purchases and sales of securities by the
Company (other than (a) purchases and sales on an established securities
exchange, (b) purchases and sales of rand denominated investments issued or
guaranteed by the Republic of South Africa, and (c) the exercise, if the
Commission so permits, of rights issued to the Company as a shareholder or other
companies for the purchase of securities) through the delivery of securities and
receipt of cash, or vice versa as the case may be, within the United States, and
(ii) consummate all purchases and sales of gold or certificates of deposit for
gold by the Company through the delivery of such certificates and receipt of
cash, or vice versa as the case may be within the United States, and (iii)
distribute the Company's assets, or the proceeds thereof, to the Company's
creditors and shareholders, upon service upon the Custodian of an order of the
Commission or a court of competent jurisdiction directing such distribution as
provided in the Undertakings and Agreements of the Company in paragraphs (3) and
(5) of Section V of the Company's Application for order Permitting Registration
under the Investment Company Act. The Custodian may appoint one or more
subcustodians located outside the United States of America to hold assets which,
pursuant to Article 7.1 of these By-Laws, may be maintained by the Company
outside of the United States of America. Any such subcustodian shall either be
an eligible foreign custodian, as such term is defined in the rules and
regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, an overseas
branch of the Custodian or a subcustodian otherwise approved by the Commission.
The Custodian and any such subcustodians shall act as trustees of, and maintain
in their sole custody in the United States or in such other jurisdiction as may
be permitted by Article 7.1 of these By-Laws, all the Company's securities and
cash conditions under which the Custodian shall act fixed by the Board of
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Directors shall authorize or permit the directors, officers, employees or agents
of the Company to withdraw any of the securities or similar investments of the
Company upon the mere receipt of such directors, officers, employees or agents.
(Investment Company Act, S.11(f).)
BY-LAW EIGHT: INELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN PERSONS
ARTICLE 8.1 INELIGIBILITY OR OFFICER, DIRECTOR, ETC.
Except to the extent permitted by an order of exemption of the Commission,
the following persons shall not be eligible to serve or act in the capacity of
officer, director, member of an advisory board, investment adviser, depositor or
principal underwriter of the Company at any time while the Company shall be
registered under the Investment Company Act:
(1) any person who at any time has been convicted of any felony or
misdemeanor involving the purchase or sale of any security or
arising out of such person's conduct as an underwriter,
broker, dealer, or investment adviser, or as an affiliated
person, salesman, or employee of any investment company,
banking institution or insurance company;
(2) any person who, by reason of any misconduct, is permanently or
temporarily enjoined by order, judgment or decree of any court
of competent jurisdiction from acting as an underwriter,
broker, dealer, or investment adviser, or as an affiliated
person, salesman, or employee of any investment company,
banking institution, or insurance company, or from engaging in
or continuing any conduct or practice in connection with any
such activity or in connection with the purchase or sale of
any security; or
(3) subject however to the provisions of the Companies Act a
company any affiliated person of which is ineligible, by
reason of paragraph (1) or (2) of this Article 8.1, to serve
or act in the foregoing capacities. (Investment Company Act,
S.9(a).)
For the purposes of paragraphs (1), (2) and (3) of this Article 8.1 the term
"investment adviser" shall include an investment adviser as defined in Section
202(11) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 of the United States of America.
ARTICLE 8.2 INELIGIBILITY AS BROKER, UNDERWRITER, ETC.
(a) When and so long as the Company shall be registered under the
Investment Company Act, it shall not
(1) employ as a regular broker any director, officer, or employee
of the Company, or any person of which any such director,
officer, or employee is an affiliated person, unless a
majority of the Board of Directors of the Company shall be
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persons who are not such brokers or affiliated persons of any
of such brokers;
(2) use as a principal underwriter of securities issued by it any
director, officer, or employee of the Company or any person of
which any such director, officer, or employee is an affiliated
person, unless a majority of the Board of Directors of the
Company shall be persons who are not such principal
underwriters or affiliated persons of any of such principal
underwriters; or
(3) have as director, officer, or employee any investment banker,
or any affiliated person of an investment banker, unless a
majority of the Board of Directors of the Company shall be
persons who are not investment bankers or affiliated persons
of any investment banker. (Investment Company Act, S.10(b).)
(b) If by reason of the death, disqualification, or BONA FIDE
---- ----
resignation of any Director or Directors, the requirements of
paragraph (a) of this Article 8.2 shall not be met, the operation
of such requirements shall be suspended for a period of 30
(thirty) days if the vacancy or vacancies may be filled by action
of the Board of Directors, and for a period of 60 (sixty) days if
a vote of Shareholders is required to fill the vacancy or
vacancies, or for such longer period as the Commission may
prescribe, by rules and regulations upon its motion or by order
upon application, as not inconsistent with the protection of
investors. (Investment Company, Act, S.10(e).)
BY-LAW NINE: TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES
ARTICLE 9.1 RESTRICTIONS ON PURCHASES, SALES, LOANS, ETC.
(a) Except to the extent that the Commission may, by rules and
regulations upon its motion or by order upon application, have
exempted a transaction or classes of transactions from any of the
provisions of Section 10 of the Investment Company Act or may
otherwise permit, the Company shall not, when and so long as it
shall be registered under the Investment Company Act, knowingly
purchase or otherwise acquire, during the existence of any
underwriting or selling syndicate, any security (except a
security of which the Company is the issuer) a principal
underwriter of which is an officer, director, member of an
advisory board, investment adviser, or employee of the Company,
or is a person of which any such officer, director, member of an
advisory board, investment adviser, or employee is an affiliated
person. (Investment Company Act, S.10(f).)
(b) Except to the extent permitted by an order of exemption issued by
the Commission, the Company, when and so long as it shall be
registered under the Investment Company Act, shall not itself, nor
shall it permit any company controlled by it, to
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(1) knowingly purchase any security or other property from any
affiliated person or promoter of or principal underwriter for
the Company, or any affiliated person of such a person,
promoter, or principal underwriter, acting as principal,
unless such purchase involves solely
(i) securities of which the buyer is the issuer, or
(ii) securities of which the seller is the issuer and
which are part of a general offering to the holders
of a class of its securities; or
(2) knowingly sell any security or other property (except
securities of which the seller is the issuer) to any
affiliated person or promoter of or principal underwriter for
the Company or any affiliated person of such a person,
promoter, or principal underwriter, acting as principal; or
(3) lend money or other property (unless the borrower is
controlled by the lender) to any affiliated person or promoter
of or principal underwriter for the Company, or any affiliated
person of such a person, promoter, or principal underwriter,
acting as principal, except to a company which owns all of the
outstanding securities of the Company other than directors'
qualifying shares; or
(4) make any purchase or sale of any property if, to the knowledge
of the Company, any affiliated person of the Company, or any
affiliated person of such person, acting as agent, is to
accept from any source any compensation (other than a regular
salary or wages from the Company) for such purchase or sale,
unless such purchase or sale is in the course of such person's
business as an underwriter or broker; or
(5) make any purchase or sale of securities if, to the knowledge
of the Company, any affiliated person of the Company, or any
affiliated person of such person, acting as broker, is to
receive from any source a commission, fee, or other
remuneration for effecting such transaction which exceeds M
the usual and customary broker's commission if the sale is
effected on a securities exchange, or (ii) two per cent (2%)
of the sales price if the sale is effected in connection with
a secondary distribution of such securities, or (iii) one per
cent (1%) of the purchase or sale price of such securities if
the sale is otherwise effected unless the Commission shall, by
rules and regulations or order in the public interest and
consistent with the protection of investors, permit a larger
commission.
Nothing in this Article 9.1 shall, however, prevent the Company from purchasing
from any person merchandise sold in the ordinary course of such person's
business or from entering into a lessor-lessee relationship with any person and
receiving or furnishing the services incidental thereto, (Investment Company
Act, S.17(a), S.17(b), S.17(c) and S.17(e) and S.21(b).)
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ARTICLE 9.2 Participation with Affiliates
When and so long as the Company any shall be registered under the
Investment Company Act; the Company shall not itself, nor shall it permit any
company controlled by it, to be a joint or a joint and several participant with
any affiliated person of or principal underwriter for the Company or any
affiliated person of such person or principal underwriter in any transaction
effected by such person, principal underwriter or affiliated person as
principal, in contravention of such rules and regulations as the Commission may
prescribe for the purpose of limiting or preventing participation by the Company
or such controlled company on a basis different from or less advantageous than
that of such other participant. Nothing contained in this Article 9.2 shall be
deemed to preclude any such controlled company from participating in any
underwriting syndicate or other group of which any affiliated person is acting
as manager, merely because such person is receiving compensation for so acting.
(Investment Company Act, S.17(d).)
BY-LAW TEN: INVESTMENT POLICY
ARTICLE 10.1 DIVERSITY - ACQUISITION OF AFFILIATES
When and so long as the Company shall be registered under the Investment
Company Act, it shall not knowingly acquire or continue directly or indirectly
to own, control or hold with power to vote, any security in contravention of any
rules or orders of the Commission or any security in contravention of the
following restrictions:
So long as the Company shall be registered under the Investment
Company Act, neither it nor any company or companies controlled by
it will purchase or otherwise acquire any security issued by or any
other interest in the business of (1) any other investment company
of which the Company or any company or companies controlled by the
Company shall not at the time of such purchase or acquisition own in
the aggregate at least 25% (twenty-five per centum) of the total
outstanding voting stock, if the Company and any company or
companies controlled by it own in the aggregate or as a result of
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such purchase or acquisition will own in the aggregate more than 5%
(five per centum) of the total outstanding voting stock of such
other investment company if the policy of such other investment
company is the concentration of investments in a particular industry
or group of industries, or more than 3% (three per centum) of the
total outstanding voting stock of' such other investment company if
the policy of such other investment company is not the concentration
of investments in a particular industry or group of industries,
except a security received as a dividend or as a result of an offer
of exchange approved pursuant to Section 11 of the Investment
Company Act or of a plan of reorganization of any company (other
than a plan devised for the purpose of evading the foregoing
provisions) or (2) any insurance company of which the Company or any
company or companies controlled by it shall not at the time of such
purchase or acquisition own in the aggregate at least 25%
(twenty-five per centum) of the total outstanding voting stock, if
the Company and any company or companies controlled by it own in the
aggregate or as a result of such purchase or acquisition will own in
the aggregate more than 10% (ten per centum) of the total
outstanding voting stock of such insurance company, except a
security received as a dividend or as a result of a plan of
reorganization of any company (other than a plan devised for the
purpose of evading the foregoing provisions). (Investment Company
Act S.12(d)(1) and S.12(d)(2).)
ARTICLE 10.2 CHANGES IN INVESTMENT POLICY
When and so long as the Company shall be registered under the Investment
Company Act, unless authorized by a vote of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of
the outstanding voting securities of the Company; or (2) 67% or more of the
outstanding voting securities of the Company at a shareholders meeting, if the
holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present in
person or by proxy, the Company shall not:
(1) change the nature of its business so as to cease to be an
investment company;
(2) change from a closed-end company to an open-end company;
(3) change from a non-diversified company to a diversified
company;
(4) borrow money, issue senior securities, underwrite securities
issued by other persons, purchase or sell real estate or
commodities or make loans to other persons, except that in
each case in accordance with the recitals of policy contained
in its registration statement under the Investment Company Act
in respect thereto;
(5) deviate from its policy in respect of concentration of
investments in any particular industry or group of industries
AS RECITED IN ITS REGISTRATION STATEMENT under the Investment
Company Act; or
(6) deviate from any of the fundamental policies recited in its
registration statement. (Investment Company Act, S.5, and
S.13(a).)
BY-LAW ELEVEN: INVESTMENT ADVISERS AND PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITERS
ARTICLE 11.1 INVESTMENT ADVISERS
The Company, upon a resolution of the Board of Directors, may from time to
time enter into one or more investment advisory contracts, PROVIDED, that, so
long as the Company shall be registered under the Investment Company Act, it
shall not engage any person to serve or act as investment adviser of the
Company, except pursuant to a written contract which has been approved by the
vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company and which
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(1) precisely describes all compensation to be paid thereunder;
(2) shall continue in effect for a period more than two years from
the date of its execution, only so long as such continuance is
specifically approved at least annually by the Board of
Directors or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting
securities of the Company;
(3) provides, in substance, that it may be terminated at any time,
without the payment of any penalty, by the Board of Directors
of the Company or by vote of a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of the Company on not more than 60 (sixty)
days' written notice to the investment adviser;
(4) provides, in substance, for its automatic termination in
the event of its assignment;
(5) provides that
(i) the investment adviser shall maintain in the United
States and preserve therein for such period or
periods as the Commission shall prescribe by rules
and regulations applicable to the investment advisers
of investment companies registered under the
Investment Company Act, such accounts, books, and
other documents as are necessary or appropriate to
record the transactions of the investment adviser
with the Company;
(ii) such amounts, books and other records shall be subject
at any time and from time to time to such reasonable
periodic, special, and other examinations by the
Commission, or any member or representative thereof, as
the Commission may prescribe;
(iii) the investment adviser shall furnish to the Commission,
within such reasonable time as the Commission may
prescribe, copies of or extracts from such records which
may be prepared without undue effort, expense, or delay,
as the Commission may by order require; and
(6) contains no provision which protects or purports to protect
the investment adviser against any liability to the Company or
its security holders to which such investment adviser would
otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad
faith or gross negligence, in the performance of its duties,
or by reason of the reckless disregard by such investment
adviser of its obligations and duties under such contract.
(Investment Company Act S.15(a), S.17(i), S.31(a) and
S.31(b).)
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ARTICLE 11.2 PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITERS
(a) The Company, upon a resolution of the Board of Directors, may
employ one or more principal underwriters to offer for sale,
sell, or deliver after sale any security of which the Company is
the issuer, provided, that each such principal underwriter is a
citizen and resident of the United States of America or a
corporation, partnership or association which is organized under
the laws of one of the United States of America and is resident
and having its principal place of business in the United States
of America and is a member in good standing of a securities
association registered under Section 15A of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 of the United States of America.
(b) The contract or agreement under which such principal underwriter
undertakes to act for the Company shall contain no provision
which protects or purports to protect the principal underwriter
against any liability to the Company or its security holders to
which such principal underwriter would otherwise be subject by
reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence, in
the performance of its duties, or by reason of the reckless
disregard by such principal underwriter of its obligations and
duties under such contract or agreement. (Investment Company
Act, S.17(i).)
ARTICLE 11.3 APPROVAL BY INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS OR BY STOCKHOLDERS
In addition to the requirements of Article 11.1 and 11.2 hereof the
Company shall not enter into, renew, or perform any contract or agreement,
written, or oral, whereby a person undertakes regularly to serve or act as
investment adviser of the Company, unless the terms of such contract or
agreement, and any renewal thereof have been approved (1) by a majority of the
Directors who are not parties to such contract or agreement or affiliated
persons of any such party, or (2) by the vote of a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of the Company. (Investment Company Act, S.15(c).)
ARTICLE 11.4 EXCLUSIONS OF ADVISORY BOARD
Nothing contained in this By-Law Eleven shall be deemed to require or
contemplate any action by an advisory board, if any, of the Company or by any of
the members of such a board. (Investment Company Act, S.15(f).)
BY-LAW TWELVE: PROXIES, VOTING TRUSTS, CIRCULAR OWNERSHIP
ARTICLE 12.1 SOLICITATION OF PROXIES
When and so long as the Company is registered under the Investment Company
Act, neither the Company nor any of its officers, directors, employees or
investment advisers shall, by use of the United States mails or any means or
instrumentality of interstate commerce, or otherwise, solicit or permit the use
of its or his name to solicit any proxy or consent or authorization in respect
of any security of which the Company is the issuer in contravention of such
rules and regulations as the Commission may prescribe as necessary or
appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors.
(Investment Company Act, S.20(a).)
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ARTICLE 12.2 VOTING TRUST CERTIFICATES
When and so long as the Company is registered under the Investment Company
Act, neither the Company nor any of its officers, directors, employees or
investment advisers shall, by use of the United States mails or any means or
instrumentality of interstate commerce, or otherwise, offer for sale, sell, or
deliver after sale, in connection with a public offering, any voting trust
certificate relating to any security of the Company. (Investment Company Act,
S.20(b).)
ARTICLE 12.3 CROSS-OWNERSHIP AND CIRCULAR OWNERSHIP
(a) The Company shall not purchase any voting security if, to the
knowledge of the Company, cross-ownership or circular ownership
exists, or after such acquisition will exist, between the Company
and the issuer of such security. Cross-ownership shall be deemed
to exist between two companies when each of such companies
beneficially owns more than 3% (three per centum) of the
outstanding voting securities of the other company. Circular
ownership shall be deemed to exist between two companies if such
companies are included within a group of three or more companies,
each of which
(1) beneficially owns more than 3% (three per centum) of the
outstanding voting securities of one or more other companies
of the group and officer at the time of imposition of such
costs or incurring of such expenses or liabilities), such
costs, expenses and liabilities to include the cost to each
director or officer of reasonable settlements. The foregoing
right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of other
rights to which any director or officer may be entitled as a
matter of law, and shall enure to the benefit of the heirs,
executors and administrators of any such director or officers,
provided, however that nothing herein, nor any provision of
the Memorandum of Association or Articles of the Company shall
be deemed to protect or indemnify any director, officer or
auditor of the Company against any liability to the Company or
to its security holders to which he would. otherwise be
subject by reason of (i) the Investment Company Act and the
Rules and Regulations of the commission promulgated
thereunder, including liability for the failure to enter into,
or for the breach of, any agreement or undertaking entered
into with, or pursuant to the direction of, the Commission or
(ii) the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 of the United States of America or the Rules and
Regulations of the Commission promulgated under both such
Acts; or by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in
the conduct of his office, subject however to the requirements
of the Companies Act. (Investment Company Act, S.17(h).)
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(2) has more than 3% (three per centum) of its own outstanding
voting securities beneficially owned by another company, or
by each of two or more other companies, of the group.
(Investment Company Act. S.20(c).)
(b) If such cross-ownership or circular ownership between the Company
and any other company or companies shall come into existence
(without the Company's knowledge) upon the purchase by the Company
of the securities of another company, the Company shall, within one
year, after it first knows of the existence of such cross-ownership
or circular ownership, eliminate the same. (Investment Company Act.
S.20(d).)
BY-LAW THIRTEEN: REORGANIZATIONS AND EXCHANGES
ARTICLE 13.1 REORGANIZATIONS
When and so long as the Company is registered under the Investment Company
Act, neither the Company nor any of its officers, directors, employees or
investment advisers shall, by use of the United States mails or any means or
instrumentality of interstate commerce, or otherwise, solicit or permit the use
of its or his name to solicit any proxy, consent, authorization, power of
attorney, ratification, deposit, or dissent in respect of any plan of
reorganization of the Company unless a copy of such plan and any deposit
agreement relating thereto and of any proxy, consent, authorization, power of
attorney, ratification, instrument of deposit, or instrument of dissent in
respect thereto is filed with, or mailed to, the Commission for its information
within twenty-four hours after the commencement of any such solicitation. The
Company may, and if so requested by the holders of 25% (twenty-five per centum)
of any class of its outstanding securities, shall prior to any solicitation of
security holders with respect to such plan of reorganization, request the
Commission to render an advisory report in respect of the fairness of such plan
and its effect upon any classes of security holders of the Company. The Company
shall mail promptly a copy of such advisory report, if any is so rendered, to
all its security holders affected by such plan, PROVIDED, that such advisory
report shall have been received by the Company at least 48 (forty-eight) hours
(not including Sundays and holidays) before final action is taken in relation to
such plan at any meeting of security holders called to act in relation thereto,
or any adjournment of any such meeting, or if no meeting be called, then prior
to the final date of acceptance of such plan by security holders. (Investment
Company Act. S.25.)
BY-LAW FOURTEEN: LIQUIDATION UPON CERTAIN CONTINGENCIES
ARTICLE 14.1 LIQUIDATION UPON CERTAIN CONTINGENCIES
Any shareholder of the Company acting in good faith or the Commission
shall have the right to initiate a proper proceeding before the Commission or a
court of competent jurisdiction for the liquidation of the Company or the sale
of its assets and the distribution of such assets or the proceeds thereof to
shareholders and creditors in the event that the Commission or such court finds,
after notice and opportunity for hearing, that the Company has ceased to be
registered under the Investment Company Act, or has violated any provision of
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said Act, or has violated any provision of the order granted to the Company
under Section 7(d) of said or other defect shall not have been cured by the
Company within such period of time as shall be granted by the Commission or such
courts for the protection of the best interest of the Company's shareholders.
BY-LAW FIFTEEN: CHANGES IN BY-LAWS AND MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE 15.1 CHANGES IN BY-LAWS AND MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION
When and so long as the Company shall be registered under the Investment
Company Act, neither these By-Laws not the Memorandum of Association of the
Company may be changed in any manner inconsistent with the Investment Company
Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and the undertakings and
arrangements entered into with the Commission unless authorized by the
Commission.
BY-LAW SIXTEEN: RESPONSIBILITY OF DIRECTORS
ARTICLE 16.1 RESPONSIBILITY OF DIRECTORS
The Company shall indemnify each present and future director and officer
of the Company against any costs, expenses and liabilities which may be imposed
on or reasonably incurred by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or
proceeding in which he may be involved by reason of his being or having been a
director or officer of the Company (whether or not he continues to be a director
or officer at the time of imposition of such costs or incurring of such expenses
or liabilities), such costs, expenses and liabilities to include the cost to
each director or officer of reasonable settlements. The foregoing right of
indemnification shall not be exclusive of other rights to which any director or
officer may be entitled as a matter of law, and shall enure to the benefit of
the heirs, executors and administrators of any such director or officers,
PROVIDED, however that nothing herein, nor any provision of the Memorandum of
Association or Articles of the Company shall be deemed to protect or indemnify
any director, officer or auditor of the Company against any liability to the
Company or to its security holders to which he would otherwise be subject by
reason of (i) the Investment Company Act and the Rules and Regulations of the
Commission promulgated thereunder, including liability for the failure to enter
into, or for the breach of, any agreement or undertaking entered into with, or
pursuant to the direction of, the Commission or (ii) the Securities Act of 1933
and the America or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission promulgated under
both such Acts; or by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his
office, subject however to the requirements of Section 70(sext) of the South
African Companies Act of 1926. (Investment Company Act. S.17(h).)
