ActionSA lodges complaint to SAHRC over WesBank overcharging black clients

25 January 2024  

ActionSA officially handed over and lodged a formal complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to investigate Wesbank over damning allegations that it overcharged black clients.

The main objective for submitting the complaint is to ensure that, should Wesbank be found guilty of the allegations that have been brought forward, the entire banking industry is held accountable and that no one may be discriminated against based on their race. Unethical behaviour cannot be tolerated, and as ActionSA, we firmly believe in and fight for ethical behaviour.

Ngobeni was joined by ActionSA Gauteng Youth Forum Chairperson, Advice Chuma, Johannesburg Youth Forum Chairperson, Jabu Mabunda, and ActionSA activists, who marched to the SAHRC offices to hand over the letter that detailed the concerning allegations of discrimination against certain clients of Wesbank.

This follows media reports over the weekend that suggest that Wesbank used a system to charge black clients higher interest rates than their white peers 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 and is well-positioned to investigate these claims fairly. 

At our inaugural policy conference held last September, activists from all walks of life approved policies that focused 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, contradict this notion, and as a nation with a troubled past like ours, we cannot condone nor tolerate the covert racism it represents. Non-racialism is a pillar of our Constitution that is constantly under threat as social cohesion deteriorates 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, 25 January 2024