Absa secures interdict to stop BLF intimidating customers

Absa has secured an interdict in the High Court in Johannesburg barring the Black First Land First (BLF) movement from intimidating its customers on its premises.

"Absa applied to the High Court seeking an interdict against the Black First Land First movement (BLF). This step was taken after several incidents in which BLF members unlawfully entered Absa branches and intimidated customers and staff during protests late in June‚" the bank said in a statement on Thursday evening.

"The interim interdict prevents the BLF members from damaging and destroying Absa’s property. It also prevents BLF and its members from threatening violence or intimidating customers and staff during protest."

BLF and the ANC Youth League have launched a series of protests against Absa‚ demanding that the bank repay bailouts granted to it in the 1990s.

Absa executive Marius de la Rey said in a founding affidavit that during these protests members had "engaged in unlawful conduct that included acts of intimidation‚ insults to ABSA staff‚ assaulting ABSA staff‚ threatening ABSA staff with physical violence if they did not accede to BLF’s demands".

It had written to the BLF requesting that future protests were carried out lawfully without any acts of intimidation‚ but said it had received no response.