WATCH: ‘Corruption protest’ hits American embassy

Members of the Make It Happen Foundation gathered at the American embassy in Arcadia, Pretoria, on Friday, to protest against alleged practices of anti-transformation, corruption and racism.

A memorandum was handed over to embassy staff.

“The key focus of the picket is to highlight to the American embassy and the world, the failure of American companies operating in South Africa to comply with legislation which among others regulate discriminative practices, racism, and undermine the laws of our democratic government,” foundation managing director Herry Masindi said.

Masindi said such practices included anti-transformation, corruption, and money laundering.

“It’s our call that the South African government denies and stop all American companies who do not comply with our laws as that is tantamount to undermine our democratic state.”

He said the foundation will start challenging all such companies through their embassies in aims to expose crime against humanity.

He said millions of South Africans were frustrated against racist practices by some of the American companies operating in the country.

“We stand firmly to express our anger and disappointment at the lack of transformation by some American companies.”

Masindi said the Covid-19 pandemic had also exposed the deep levels of poverty, unemployment, hunger and deprivation that continued to exist in society.

He said the embassy, along with the SA government, had to fight the current levels of crime, corruption and gender-based violence which were adding a huge and unnecessary cost to the social and economic fabric of society.

“The entire world is currently fighting the issue of racism and discrimination. Our country finds itself in a peculiar position having fought discrimination and racism over the past decades.”

Masindi said his foundation had been receiving “tonnes of information through whistle-blowers over racism and discrimination, practised by an American company”.

“We requested a meeting with the company to discuss the same alleged allegations internally, however, our request was declined,” he said.

“Through our investigation, we found this company practices discrimination, racism, anti-transformation and undermines the laws and regulations of our country.”

The foundation demanded:

• Forensic investigations to investigate alleged racism, discrimination, non-compliance of BBBEE,
• Non-compliance of laws and regulations of South Africa,
• Conduct allegations of corruption, money laundering and unequal treatment.

The embassy had yet to comment.

For more information, visit the official Making it Happen Foundation website by clicking here.

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