A group of protesters sang, danced and chanted anti-Barclays slogans in Johannesburg on Saturday morning against the British bank’s take-over of Absa.
The protesters, from the Jubilee South Africa group, wore anti-privatisation T-shirts and carried banners reading ”Barclays economic terrorists,” ”Barclays financed the slave trade” and ”Go back to colonial Britain”.
”We are opposing Barclays Bank’s takeover of Absa until Barclays apologises for supporting the apartheid regime and until they give reparations to those who suffered because of its support of apartheid,” Jubilee member and the march’s organiser, Tristen Taylor, said.
The protesters shouted ”Voetsek, Barclays, voetsek” and ”Barclays has to go” as they sang and danced to Absa’s head office in Main Street. They were watched by a small group of police officers.
A police officer on the scene estimated that there were about 200 protesters taking part in the march.
Taylor said the protesters want Barclays to resolve a lawsuit in the United States, which charges that Barclays and 22 other foreign companies aided and abetted the apartheid regime.
”We want them to resolve the Khulumani v Barclays lawsuit in the United States, which was brought about by 87 South Africans who had been subjected to gross human rights violations during apartheid,” Taylor said.
Barclays left South Africa in 1986, saying at the time that it was opposed to the policies of the apartheid government.
It announced its return earlier in May with its bid for a 60% stake in Absa for $5,5-billion.
Taylor said Barclays has not appeared before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) despite its financing of the apartheid government.
”Barclays chose not to appear before the TRC to disclose its dealings with the apartheid regime and seek amnesty,” he said. ”This is despite being a major financier to the apartheid regime.”
A statement from Jubilee said Barclays acquired R10-million in defence bonds from South Africa in 1976.
It said this was the largest single purchase from the South African armed forces during the apartheid years.
The group also alleged that Barclays loaned more than $478-million to the South African government between 1972 and 1978.
Jubilee said between 1982 and 1984 Barclays loaned $725,4-million to South Africa.
Taylor said Barclays left South Africa in 1986 not of its own accord, but because of political pressure from within Britain.
”There was massive pressure on Barclays in the United Kingdom to withdraw from apartheid South Africa,” he said.
Taylor said Absa has already started cutting its workforce in preparation for the Barclays takeover.
He said it is expected that the company will shed 2% of its jobs once it has been restructured.
”The Barclays takeover is not a new investment but a merger and acquisition,” Jubilee’s statement said. ”It creates no new infrastructure or jobs.” — Sapa