Memorandum: FNB stop racism now!

We come here today for the second time. Black First Land First (BLF) had asked for a meeting with the CEO of FNB, one Jacques Celliers, two weeks ago. We arrived here to be met by the police and masses of security guards. Celliers had ran away. He disrespected us by sending a bunch of confused people to meet us. These people were so junior that they couldn’t even get a board room for a meeting. Celliers doesn’t take black people seriously.

Today we are back demanding justice for the FNB4 and for FNB to transform itself from being an agent of racism and white corruption, to serving the people. We come here the day before the 40th anniversary of the assassination of our father, Steve Biko, who was murdered by whites to keep the wealth and land in the hands of the white minority.

BLF is not surprised that FNB fired the four black bankers and then black listed them, so that they don’t get jobs anywhere in the financial sector. The four black bankers are victims of racism and the political agenda of regime change to keep South Africa in the hands of a white minority. This is the agenda of FNB.

What have the four brothers done? They only told the truth. It’s not a lie that Mmusi Maimane is married to a white woman and that he is driving a white agenda. It’s not a lie to say Maimane is an Uncle Tom. A stooge of Helen Zille who works to maintain the colonial status quo in the economic sphere. Why fire people for telling the truth in their own platforms? Is FNB promoting lies as a good thing?

The only reason the four were fired is because Jacques Celliers has continued the legacy of making FNB into a political arm of white monopoly capital. FNB is a rogue bank that promotes racism. FNB right now is facing cases of racism against black people for its discrimination when it comes to bonds. FNB is accused of making blacks pay more than whites for housing loans.

FNB finances and promotes regime change programmes such as those of Save South Africa. The CEO Jacques Celliers has openly endorsed the calls for a coup against President Zuma. Furthermore, the same CEO of FNB is on record for attacking state entities like the South African Airways. The intention is to destroy the image of SAA and then buy it on the cheap through privatisation.

There is, as we have seen, a clear pattern of racism and counter revolutionary practises at FNB. It’s therefore not a surprise that Jacques Celliers has treated this matter with arrogance and negligence.

Celliers is a liar. When we first came here he lied and said he didn’t know about the meeting because his e-mail is not monitored. It was a lie and we knew it to be a lie. He then asked that we communicate through WhatsApp. He never responded to any of the messages sent via WhatsApp. Instead, after almost a week, he sent an e-mail saying the matter of the four bankers was resolved. We reject this notion. The issue is far from being resolved. Celliers must stop the lies and arrogance and engage.

We demand the following from Jacques Celliers:

1) The re-instatement or very serious compensation for the FNB4.

2) That everyone who played a role in the four being victimised must be fired, namely: Sandy Geach, Carol Hardhidzer, Sivannisan Pillay, Paul Sekete, Humbulani (Head of Litigation), Kamogetswe Dube, Claudia van Herden (fraud specialist), Linda (Investigator) and Liezel Holis.

3) We also demand assurance that no one will be fired in future for raising transformation issues and for exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of expression.

4. Anti-racism policy and transformation strategy of FNB.

Demands to government:

1. We call on Finance Minister, Malusi Gigaba, to immediately start processes to withdraw all government accounts from FNB.

2. Announce dates for the licencing of black banks and state owned banks.

Actions:

1. BLF gives FNB 7 days to respond positively to these demands or face a 24/7 picket outside its offices.

2. National shut down of FNB branches.

3. Start calls for boycotting FNB.

SIGNED (for FNB)
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SIGNED (for BLF)
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DATE: 11 September 2017

Issued by Black First Land First, 11 September 2017