Absa makes its own rules

BBSA

BBSA

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http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/absa-makes-its-own-rules-1.683093

Two members of Afriforum Youth were kicked out of Loftus stadium during a rugby game on Saturday for displaying a banner with the words 'Sies Absa, ons eis meriete', the civil rights organisation said.

“The security guards who kicked out the students said that all are prohibited from saying anything against Absa who is the main sponsor of SA Rugby,” said national chairman of Afriforum youth Ernst Roets.

The members who were kicked out are Roets and Ian Cameron, a member of the management of AfriForum Youth.

“ (We) told the security guards that this action is a violation of their constitutional rights to which the guards replied with the words 'Your rights do not apply here. Absa makes its own rules'.”

In September reports surfaced that Absa, sponsor of the Currie Cup, had expressed concern over a lack of transformation in rugby.

This caused Afriforum to launch a “Stop Absa Quotas” campaign, with many people threatening to close their Absa bank accounts.

Absa responded with deputy chief executive Louis von Zeuner saying: “We have never said a team should include a certain number of players of colour.”

Afriforum continued with it's campaign “to stop Absa’s political interference in SA rugby”.

Roets said approximately 5 000 posters with the words 'Sies Absa!', 'Absa, ons eis meriete!' (Absa, we demand merit) and 'Haal politiek uit rugby!' (Keep politics out of rugby) were given by AfriForum Youth to spectators at today's game.

The posters were confiscated.

“We were treated disrespectfully and were insulted and our tickets were confiscated. We did not disrupt the rugby in any way. We simply exercised our constitutional rights by taking a stand for what we believe in.”

Roets demands an apology from Absa and wants a refund of their tickets.
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Nobody is winning here.
 
I still think a thousand people throwing eggs at an ABSA sign during a televised game is the route to take. Eggs have been part of political and civil protest for centuries... Why it is not used in South Africa is a mystery to me....
 
Yet the Afrikaners in this country will still continue to bank with ABSA. I don't care about rugby (don't watch it,follow it) but I've written ABSA off as a contender for a new bank due to this attitude of them (3 bank accounts need to be shifted away from Standard Bank, 2 personal & 1 business and 4 new bank accounts for staff and my kids)
 
I had great hopes for ABSA when Barclays UK bought them. Sadly, there have been little or no improvements.
 
So a Loftus decision is now an ABSA thing?

Edit - I suppose Loftus reiterating its anti-racism stance is also due to Absa
 
I actually think afriforum was in the wrong here. They should have gone to a game and hand out the posters. Think of it this way, at work we should ask permission before we are allowed to put posters up. So accourding to me they crossed the line when the protesting went inside the stadium.
 
phoneJunky said:
I actually think afriforum was in the wrong here. They should have gone to a game and hand out the posters. Think of it this way, at work we should ask permission before we are allowed to put posters up. So accourding to me they crossed the line when the protesting went inside the stadium.
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Protesting at a match which has been sponsored by ABSA is not the way to do it. They have exclusive advertising rights and anything which violates that contract with the stadium and the rugby teams will and can be removed.

1) Don't attend the rugby games sponsored by ABSA if you disagree with their "rules".
2) Organise protests from the grass roots level upwards (starting with the rugby clubs) spreading the word.
3) Don't bank with ABSA.
 
antowan said:
I still think a thousand people throwing eggs at an ABSA sign during a televised game is the route to take. Eggs have been part of political and civil protest for centuries... Why it is not used in South Africa is a mystery to me....
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Too expensive ?
 
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