In August 2014 a call for the complete boycott of Woolworths until it ends its Israeli trade links was made by BDS South Africa, COSATU, ANC Youth League, MJC, SACP, YCL, EEF and various others including the National Coalition 4 Palestine (a coalition consisting of more than 30 organizations, trade unions and other groups). An independent #BoycottWoolworths impact report by a Wits University researcher has found that Woolworths is losing over R30 million (close to R8 million per month) since the start of the #BoycottWoolworths campaign. According to the report, which was based on a survey of over 3000 participants, the actual impact "could be in the hundreds of millions".
BDS South Africa will be formally writing to Pharrell Williams, requesting that he postpones his Woolworths collaboration until the company divests from Israel. The BDS #BoycottWoolworths campaign is inspired by the anti-apartheid boycott movement of the 1980s against companies that traded with Apartheid South Africa. Given our history, as South Africans, we call for the boycott of companies, such as Woolworths, who continue to trade with Apartheid Israel. We trust that Pharrell Williams will heed our call.
ISSUED BY KWARA KEKANA ON BEHALF OF BDS SOUTH AFRICAKWARA KEKANA
NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON
BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS AGAINST ISRAEL IN SOUTH AFRICA (BDS SOUTH AFRICA)10th Floor
| Braamfontein Centre
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| Braamfontein
| Johannesburg
PO Box 2318
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| 2041
| Johannesburg
T: +27 (0) 11 403 2097
| M: +27 (0) 74 054 3826
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W: www.bdssouthafrica.com | E: kkekana@bdssouthafrica.com
www.facebook.com/bdssouthafrica | www.twitter.com/bdssouthafricaBDS South Africa is a registered Non-Profit Organization. NPO NUMBER: 084 306 NPO
BDS South Africa is a registered Public Benefit Organisation with Section 18A status. PBO NUMBER: 930 037 446
