QUESTION $1$

Mr Botha operates a hardware business in Randburg $($Johannesburg$).$ The premises in which he conducts his business are leased from Duplex Properties He purchases his stock on credit from various suppliers who give him an extended $30$ days credit facility. The area in which he operates his business than been experiencing constant power failures, due to load$-$shedding for a period of three months.

Due to continuous blackouts caused by Eskom's load$-$shedding. Mr Botha's business started to experience financial difficulties, as most of his clients decided to buy from other reliable businesses. Mr Botha started to default on his rental payments and failed to meet his suppliers' contractual obligations, as the rental amount in arrears for three months had increased to R$90000,$ and the amount owed to suppliers escalated to R$300000.$ In addition to the afore$-$mentioned situation, his employees have been on strike for three weeks for non$-$payment of wages amounting to R$60000.$ In the midst, of all these problems, his landlord $($Mr Duplex$)$ and other creditors have started to send him letters of demand for the amounts owed to them.

At the end of January $2021,$ Mr Botha opted to shut down his business and went for a holiday in Comoros Islands. He left without making any payment arrangements with his creditors nor paying his employees.

Requirements:

$1\mathrm{.}1$ Mr Botha's creditors would like to know whether they can qualify to apply for an order of sequestration against his estate.