ActionSA writes to Human Rights Commission to investigate Wesbank overcharging black clients

23 January 2023

ActionSA will write to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to investigate alarming claims from a former employee that Wesbank charged higher interest rates to black clients when purchasing vehicles.

The SAHRC, via its Legal Services Unit, is empowered by the Equality Act to take the matter to the Equality Court on behalf of the victims. We must clarify that this does not mean Wesbank is guilty merely of one accusation. Instead, the SAHRC is well-positioned to investigate these claims fairly.

For this reason, we will be writing to the SAHRC to get to the bottom of this matter as soon as possible.

At our inaugural Policy Conference held last year, Actioners from all walks of life approved policies that focus on restoring economic justice in South Africa. We firmly believe economic justice is the key to achieving social justice and non-racialism in South Africa and building an inclusive society.

Wesbank’s actions, if proven to be accurate, run contrary to this belief and the covert racism it represents cannot be tolerated in a country with a problematic history like our own. Non-racialism is a pillar of our Constitution that is constantly under threat as social cohesion breaks down in South Africa, and it is the responsibility of every business in South Africa to act morally and treat every citizen the same in the workplace.

ActionSA will continue to monitor progress in this regard and ensure that ordinary South Africans do not face arbitrary discrimination 30 years into our democracy.

Issued by Lerato Ngobeni, National Spokesperson, ActionSA, 23 January 2024