Friday, September 11, 2009
In a complete reversal from the previous administration, South African President Jacob Zuma has endorsed a class action lawsuit filed in U.S. courts against American corporations that did business in South Africa when apartheid was still in effect. Zuma’s predecessor, Thabo Mbeki, had opposed the litigation on grounds that it might cause IBM, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, and other multinationals to retaliate and pull out of South Africa.
The lawsuit has been filed in a U.S. district court using the Alien Torts Claims Act, which other non-U.S. citizens have utilized to go after American companies accused of being complicit in crimes overseas. The plaintiffs in the South African case argue that U.S. corporations directly supported the apartheid system by selling vehicles, computers, weapons and other goods that were used by the white government against the predominantly black population.
The Zuma administration has signaled that it favors an out-of-court settlement to resolve the legal case.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
S Africa Backs Action in US on Firms Linked to Apartheid (by Bill Corcoran, Irish Times)
U.S. High Court Allows Apartheid Claims Against Multinationals (by Warren Richey, Christian Science Monitor)
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