About 7,500 employees at Oakbay Investments will lose their jobs at the end of May if the Gupta-owned company\u2019s bank accounts remain closed, staff at the company wrote in an open letter to banks on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
In a letter addressed to Barclays Africa CEO Maria Ramos, FNB CEO Jacques Celliers, Standard Bank CEO Ben Kruger and Nedbank CEO Michael Brown, the staff pleaded with them to \u201creopen the bank accounts so that we do not have to suffer\u201d as they have \u201cnot done anything wrong\u201d.<\/p>\n
Oakbay\u2019s public relations team \u2013 led by world-renowned firm Bell Pottinger \u2013 has stepped up attempts to change the dialogue around its company after the Gupta family resigned from all their positions and jumped on a jet to Dubai earlier this month.<\/p>\n
That followed increasing political heat this year due to allegations that they influenced President Jacob Zuma’s appointment of Mines Minister Mosebenzi Zwane and former finance minister Des van Rooyen, as well as offering ministerial posts to Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas and former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not rich people,\u201d employee representatives P Mosomane and R Russo wrote. \u201cWe are not politically connected. We have not captured the state. We have never offered any politician a job.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do not know if any of the allegations against the Gupta family or Oakbay\u2019s management are true. We do not care.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll we care about is providing for our families. If you do not open Oakbay\u2019s bank accounts, we cannot be paid and Oakbay cannot pay its bills.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf by the end of May the accounts remain closed, Oakbay\u2019s businesses will close. That means that thousands of us will be without a job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oakbay’s auditor KPMG, the top four banks, and Oakbay\u2019s JSE sponsor Sasfin Capital all cut ties with the Guptas in March.<\/p>\n
Oakbay Investments CEO Nazeem Howa told staff in the letter that the closure of its bank accounts \u201cmade it virtually impossible to continue to do business in South Africa\u201d.<\/p>\n
“Without bank accounts we may find ourselves in a position where we are unable to pay you\u201a our valued employees,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are doing everything in our power to ensure this does not happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe find it totally unacceptable that you\u201a our employees\u201a and your families could potentially have to suffer as a result of the political campaign against us.”<\/p>\n
News24<\/a><\/p>\n SA banks acted independently against the Guptas: report<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Another major SA bank closes its doors to Gupta company<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Guptas have not \u2018fled\u2019 South Africa: Oakbay CEO<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nMore on Oakbay<\/h3>\n