Johannesburg - Victims of the recent FNB heists are set to go ahead with a protest at the bank’s popular 10km race in the Joburg CBD on Sunday to put pressure on the bank to “do the right thing” and compensate them properly.
Several representatives of the heist victims will be demonstrating on the corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and Ameshoff Street, moving down to Nelson Mandela Bridge.
The victims’ group organiser, Kelly Fraser, said that the demonstration was in light of the FNB heists and the victims who have suffered due to “FNB’s lack of appropriate security” at its Randburg, Parktown and Sunnypark branches.
“These victims had their lives in these boxes, their heritage and their children’s heritage.
“And now they’re gone and, as advised by our attorney, this is due to FNB’s negligence,” she said.
“FNB needs to do the right thing, live up to their slogan and not just pay lip-service in the media.”
In September 2015, several safety deposit boxes were stolen from FNB in Sunnyside, Pretoria.
On December 18 last year, 360 boxes were stolen in a brazen overnight break-in at the Randburg branch and two weeks later, on New Year’s Eve, thieves penetrated a vault at FNB Parktown. They made off with R1.7-million in cash and valuables from about 30 deposit boxes.
“The representatives taking part in the demonstration will give a voice to those who lost their valuables in the heists and either haven’t accepted FNB’s offers and those who have accepted, under duress, who cannot speak for themselves,” said Fraser.
“FNB have made low offers to compensate the victims, which in no way reflect or repair the loss suffered by the majority of the victims.”
Around 15 000 people are set to take part in the 2017 FNB Joburg 10km CityRun, which will start at the FNB Bank City and finish at Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown.