Xolani Koyana and Lisa Isaacs
AS WOOLWORTHS held a heated AGM at its headquarters, chants of “free Palestine” and “boycott Woolworths” rang out from pro-Palestine activists who staged a protest outside the building yesterday.
The protest was in demonstration of what the National Coalition for Palestine, which initially called for the Woolworths boycott, said was a disregard for ethics.
The dispute is about three products – pretzels, figs and pomegranates – which the retailer imports from Israel. The coalition wants Woolworths to stop buying the products from Israel and source them from local producers.
When some of the shareholders who are aligned with the coalition emerged from yesterday’s meeting, they told about 50 protesters that they were disappointed with the board’s response.
Author Marthie Momberg, also a Woolworths shareholder, said:
“As a shareholder I am shocked and deeply disappointed with the old-fashioned, old-school, patriarchal way in which the shareholders, who are concerned about the Israel-Palestine issue, were treated.
She said that they were threatened with dismissal for asking questions.
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions SA (BDS) national co-ordinator Muhammed Desai said two months ago some activists bought Woolworths shares with the intention of attending the AGM and putting pressure on management.
Some other activists had been given share proxies by other shareholders, Desai said.
Desai said their questions were deflected, some rejected as irrelevant and some activists were told they had no right to ask questions.
“They were clearly overwhelmed by the questions. They couldn’t answer simple things like have you conducted an investigation into the figs that you are importing from Israel. Have they come from land that has been confiscated or from destroyed villages.”
Protesters gathered outside Woolworths House yesterday morning ahead of the AGM.
National Coalition for Palestine chairman Edwin Arrison handed over a memorandum to Woolworths chief operations officer Sam Ngumeni.
Cosatu provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich said Shoprite and Pick n Pay would be “targeted” next.
KZN Palestine solidarity forum’s Clint Le Bruyns said although Woolworths had secured a court order preventing BDS protesters from entering stores, other groups not belonging to BDS could still protest.
Woolworths spokeswoman Susie Squire said the AGM went as “expected”. “All shareholders were given plenty of opportunities to air their views,” Squire said.