Aid agency denounces Swiss support to South Africa

Like Ed Fagan, Jubilee South Africa is calling for investigations into the Swiss involvement in South Africa swissinfo.ch

Jubilee South Africa has called for investigations into the Swiss relations to the Apartheid regime in South Africa.

After the American lawyer, Ed Fagan, announced last week he would file lawsuits against Swiss and other European banks active in South Africa during the Apartheid era, the non-governmental organisation has also called for further investigations.

“We hope that after the recent revelations of the Swiss military involvement in Apartheid South Africa, the Swiss authorities and banks will investigate this matter thoroughly,” Neville Gabriel of Jubilee South Africa said.

Jubilee, a group of churches, unions and non-governmental organisations, has also demanded the opening of Swiss and South African archives.

“We would appreciate an investigation commission, which has access to all information possible”, he said.

If no investigation will be launched, Jubilee South Africa will file a lawsuit against Switzerland, Swiss banks and companies, which were affiliated to the Apartheid regime, according to Gabriel.

Ed Fagan’s case

The US lawyer, Ed Fagan, is also planning to file a lawsuit against Switzerland’s two biggest banks, UBS and Credit Suisse, for their possible involvement in South Africa.

“There are certain Swiss banks, which were heavily involved and financed the Apartheid regime in South Africa,” Fagan said in an interview with the money magazine “Cash”.

According to the lawyer, who is acting on behalf of victims of the Apartheid regime, the banks supported companies, which are guilty of slavery, torture or execution.

“Without the banks, the regime would not have been able to survive for such a long time,” he said.

The New York-based lawyer said he had been working on the lawsuit for the past nine months and was very close to filing the claim, which would be lodged at a court in New York.

swissinfo with agencies