By Akani Nkuna
SA Federation of Trade Unions general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has blasted the South African government, particularly the Trade, Industry and Competition Department, for continued coal exports to Israel.
“To the government and the DTIC, can you stop bring hypocrites. We saluted and we were happy that [the government] took Israel to International Criminal Court, yet you are still doing trade with Israel. You have not closed the Israeli embassy, you are allowing Glencore and other companies to ship coal to fuel the genocide,” Vavi told Inside Politics.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a protest outside the department’s offices in Pretoria.
Several unions, including the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), joined a protest organised by the South African Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Coalition. It forms part of an energy embargo campaign.
In their memorandum, demonstrators demand that the government withdraws any form of engagement it has with Israel, including diplomatic ties. They contend that Palestine also aided South African in its fight against apartheid.
“It is in this spirit that we urge you to respect and uphold our constitution, international law, our moral responsibility and ethical duty to not only sanction, but to sever all forms of complicity – diplomatic, economic and material – in Israel’s system of occupation, apartheid and genocide,” said BDS Coalition coordinator Roshan Daddo.
Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Majola told Inside Politics that government taking Israel to the ICJ for genocide was commendable.
It had elevated the gravity of the situation and the crimes being committed by Israel against Palestinians.
Majola asserted that South Africa’s activism against Israel on the global stage made it target of countries affiliated to Israel, especially the United States.
She urged the government to apply the same pressure in implementing a coal embargo.
“We need the SA government to go further. We have coal that is coming from our country and is being used in the genocide against Palestinians, in the mass murder of Palestinians. The government must ban any coal exports to Israel,” Majola demanded.
She said the government would need to implement an approach that would safeguard job security during the embargo.
“There must also be measures that are implemented to make sure that there are no jobs lost as a result of the embargo. Numsa adopted a resolution earlier this year that it would support any campaigns around the banning of coal to Israel,” Majola said.
“We would also like measures in place to ensure that jobs are not lost and that alternative markets are found so that there is no disruption in employment.”
Department spokesperson Bongani Lukhele confirmed that Minister Parks Tau would respond in due course to the memorandum of demands.
INSIDE POLITICS