The South Gauteng High Court has ordered Woolworths and BDS South Africa to meet “face to face” on or before the 10th of December in an attempt to settle the ongoing dispute over the national boycott against the company. The management of Woolworths has thusfar refused to meet with BDS South Africa, the NC4P and other organisations supporting the #BoycottWoolworths campaign.
BDS South Africa said it has “in good faith” undertaken to tone down on certain in-store protest actions that form part of the #BoycottWoolworths campaign. However, BDS South Africa maintains that the larger #BoycottWoolworths campaign and the plans to intensify the campaign into the festive season will continue.
Kwara Kekana welcomed the court order, saying Woolworths “arrogantly” insisted for the last four months that a meeting would not achieve anything.
“This court order affirms BDS South Africa’s stance and we looking forward to meeting with the management of Woolworths to make our case for why Woolworths should terminate its trade relations with Israel.”
Several BDS South Africa activists have bought shares in the company and intend to make the upcoming AGM on Wednesday 26 November in Cape Town, the next site of the campaign. The “shareholder activists” intend to raise pertinent issues, including why Woolworths is steadfast in maintaining a R12 million a year trade relationship with Israel at the expense of losing almost R8 million a month according to a recent #BoycottWoolworths impact report. VOC