Apartheid

The world community recognized apartheid itself as a crime against humanity and a violation of international law. Apartheid could not have been maintained in the same manner without the participation of the defendants.

The lawsuit, Khulumani et al v. Barclays et al., was filed Nov-12-02 in federal court in the Eastern District of New York. The suit is based on common law principles of liability and on the Alien Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. §1350, which grants U.S. courts jurisdiction over certain violations of international law, regardless of where they occur.

Twenty-two businesses, representing six industry types, have been named as defendants in the suit. The complaint seeks to hold those businesses, which the suit claims aided and abetted the apartheid regime, responsible. For example: IBM and ICL provided the computers that enabled South Africa to create the hated "pass book system" and to control the black South African population. Car manufacturers provided the armored vehicles that were used to patrol the townships. Arms manufacturers violated the embargoes on sales to South Africa, as did the oil companies. The banks provided the funding that enabled South Africa to expand its police and security apparatus.

Recent historical evidence demonstrates that the involvement of companies in the key industries of mining, transportation, armaments, technology, oil, and financing were not only instrumental to the implementation of the furtherance of the abuses, but were so integrally connected to the abuses themselves that apartheid would probably not have occurred in the same way without their participation.

If you feel you qualify for damages or remedies that might be awarded in this class action please fill in our form on the right to submit your complaint.