FNB gives scholarships the children of its employees, but only if they are black.  If you missed the headlines in the news paper then you can read about it here(link).

On this page the trade union Solidarity is asking people to put pressure on FNB by joining their online campaign against this move by the bank.  I joined the cause because in this time and age it is the right thing to do.

• it is not racial from my side
• I did not join because I am white
• I did not sign it because giving benefits to black people is wrong

I support the cause because in this day and age it is wrong.

We have all these politicians talking about how we should take hands and reach across the divides of the past and reconcile.  They all talk about building this country together and that we are all equal.  Where are they now?  Why aren't they talking about FNB?

Whites only please

What happens if I go and open a bank which only serve white people?  How would the government look upon this?

• You can open an account with me if you are white
• I will grant you a loan if you are white

Rest assure that I will employ black South Africans, but they will not receive any additional benefits.  I will not give their children a scholarship if they make less than R 100 000.00 per year.

I will give that money to my white employees.

And after all this my actions will not be considered racially motivated.  Simply because if FNB gets to do this then so can I.  If the government does not do something about it then they are simply saying that it is to be considered normal practice.

2009 minus 1994 =???

16 years is more than enough time to say that we have moved on.  How many years are we still going to punish white people that had nothing to do with Apartheid and the practices of that era?

Can I expect that in 14 years when my daughter applies for a study loan, that she will be turned down based on her skin color?  She wasn't even born when Apartheid ended.  Am I to expect my son to not be chosen for a national team because we will still be applying quotas in our teams?

We need to reach a point where we draw a line and say - stop.

FNB is not helping anyone with the moral building of this country.  They can shrug it off by saying that the white minority does not matter.  The black majority is our major client base and it is them we want to keep happy.

Well if you are black and you agree with what FNB is doing then I say to your face that you have lost your battle.  The struggle against apartheid was never about black vs white.  It was about being included, given freedom and choice.  Getting to stand up and say that you are part of this country and that your voice matters.

It was never about excluding individuals based on the color of their skin.

If FNB gets to go ahead with its policies then I put it to you that Apartheid is still living and growing from its infant shoes.

If FNB gets to implement its policies then I ask you what were you fighting for?  If South Africa keeps on turning a cold shoulder to these policies then you might as well send us a formal invitation to leave.

Dear whites please leave

We are not willing to continue to be an example for the rest of the world.  In our biggest banks we will exclude you children from benefiting from our programs.

You will not gain anything from your hard work because you are white.

Let's stop with all the political games and just say it out load.  Because if nothing is done about this then that is the message you are actually giving us.  If this is not the message then have the balls to say it and do something about racial practices being conducted in the public domain.

I am proud to be South African citizen and personally feel that we have become a world example of what can be achieved in the racial domain.  But this makes me shameful to be one.  I am not going to say that it is them (FNB) who did this.  That would be excluding the problem.  But maybe we should divide this country again.  If you want to have racial policies then go and live in area A, if you want to grow this country and exclude racial policies and apply a free and equal practice across the board then join us in area B.

I will be in area B for those who are wondering.