Media statement
The African National Congress Youth League (ANC YL) would like to place on record that we have and continue to maintain close fraternal relations with the Palestinian people and solidarity organisations led in this country by BDS South Africa.
A recent article on this issue, specifically focusing on BDS SA, is not representative of the views of our organisation nor the resolutions of our mother body. In support of the isolation of Israel the ANC at its most recent congress resolved for the downgrade of the SA Embassy in Tel Aviv. The message is clear, Israel is an abnormal state and no normal relations should exist with an abnormal regime!
The ANC YL has endorsed and reaffirmed our support for the Palestinian struggle and BDS movement – both in congress resolutions as well as through practical actions. We often cooperate on events and our leaders have been hosted by BDS SA, their partners and the larger solidarity movement.
On the larger issue of the Israeli-led intended takeover of Clover, we do not believe that Apartheid Israel and its corporations are suitable investors for one of our key commodities. As the YL we do not support the exporting of our profits to an oppressive regime like Israel and its companies. The Israeli company in question, CBC, is a highly problematic company that has been implicated in bad business practices (for example it was recently fined for anti-competitive behaviour). In addition, CBC has unlawful operations in the illegal Israeli settlements.
If the deal were to proceed Israel, through its companies, can blackmail us and our foreign policy by threatening to increase the price of milk for ordinary South Africans.
We want our people to own our wealth, this so called “investment” is actually a take over, not a new investment, it is merely the shifting of ownership away from South Africa with no notable value added.
As the Youth League we will be engaging with our partners and our mother body to oppose this deal and call on deployees in Government to respect their political mandates in not endorsing this deal.
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