BLF to protest at ABSA branches across Gauteng
The Black First Land First (BLF) party is set to kick off its campaign to force ABSA to pay back money its predecessor Bankorp received from the apartheid government.
The party has vowed to protest at more than 20 of the bank's branches across Gauteng on Wednesday.
According to BLF leader Andile Mgxitama the party will fire a warning shot at ABSA.
"The peaceful pickets aim to raise awareness about the corruption and arrogance of ABSA bank," Mgxitama says.
Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has ordered the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to recover the more that R1 billion given to Bankorp between 1985 and 1992.
"We have written a letter to ABSA demanding that they pay back the money without delay. ABSA has refused to comply with the Public Protector, leaving BLF with no option but to start protest action which will escalate into a national shutdown of ABSA branches," says Mgxitama.
Mgxitama says they are not prepared to wait for any legal processes to unfold.
"The finding by the public protector was that ABSA must pay back the money that was stolen and that is what we want," he says.