Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2015-11-30
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS SA) movement says while there is no government policy in place nor is it illegal to trade with Israeli settlements or occupied territories, Woolworths has entrenched its position that it does not source products from Israel.
BDS SA ambushed Woolworths’s annual general meeting today by bombarding the company with questions about its trade links with Israel.
Activists belonging to the National Coalition for Palestine (NCOP) and BDS SA bought shares in Woolworths in order to attend the company’s AGM at their head office in Cape Town.
Several shareholders with investments of over R1 million each also donated their proxies to the activists to ensure that they would not be locked out of discussions.
BDS SA’s Muhammed Desai said: “The company has taken this decision out of an ethical position or out of a moral position and out of pressure from campaigners and activists. So now we are calling on the company to extend this position to the entirety of Israel and cut all links with the Israeli regime.”
Desai says directors and board members tried to avoid the questions posed to them.
“They eventually had to concede on certain issues. Some of the directors took on to look into certain issues which we hope to follow up on.”
Desai says the concerted and combined efforts of protests and pickets from consumers who are boycotting Woolworths has allowed the movement to reach the stage of negotiating with directors and members of the board.
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