Barclays Africa could be held liable to pay more than R2 billion for an alleged unlawful apartheid-era bailout.

Editor's Note: Please note that an earlier version of this article incorrectly named Bankserv in the third line, rather than Bankorp. This error has now been corrected. EWN apologises unreservedly for the error.

JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) has called for a full investigation into apartheid-era looting and says all those implicated should be brought to book.

Barclays Africa could be held liable to pay more than R2 billion for an alleged unlawful apartheid-era bailout.

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has provisionally found that the apartheid government breached the Constitution and the Public Finance Management Act in awarding its predecessor Bankorp the loan.

The ANCWL has described the leaking of the Public Protector's preliminary report into Absa as a concerted effort to discredit Mkhwebane and her office.

In a statement, the league says there is an emerging trend of those attacking professionals, particularly those who are black and serve within government or its agencies.

It goes on to say all those beneficiaries of the looting during the apartheid era must pay in full and with interest.

Barclays Africa says it plans to make submissions to the Public Protector's office before the deadline at the end of next month, in a bid to correct several factual and legal errors in the preliminary report.

(Edited by Shimoney Regter)