Woolworths faces Israel protest at key meeting

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Published Nov 19, 2014

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Johannesburg - Woolworths will be told by individual shareholder groups at the South African retailer’s annual general meeting to stop the sale of figs, pretzels and pomegranates bought from Israel.

Campaigners against trade with the Middle Eastern country have bought shares in the Cape Town-based company and plan to put pressure on management at the meeting next week, Muhammed Desai, national co-ordinator of Boycott Divestment Sanctions South Africa, said by phone yesterday.

The protesters have the backing of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the country’s biggest labour group that’s affiliated with the ruling African National Congress.

“The call for Woolworths to terminate relations with Israel is part of a non-violent response to the Israeli regime,” Desai said.

“We’d like to convince them that it doesn’t make business sense to hold on to that trade.”

BDS called for a boycott of Woolworths, South Africa’s second-biggest retailer, in August and has since organised demonstrations at outlets across the country.

Woolworths said November 13 it filed a court application to prevent protests taking place inside stores, which the company said was intimidating employees and customers.

“The three products we currently source from Israel, namely: pretzels, figs and pomegranates, are clearly labelled for customer choice,” Woolworths said in an e-mailed response to questions.

“We have no political affiliations. We fully comply with the South African government guidelines on product from Israel and the Middle East.”

 

Israeli Goods

 

Woolworths sales continue to increase even with the protests, the company said.

Revenue gained 13 percent to 39.9 billion rand in the year through June.

The shares are 15 percent higher this year, compared with a 3.7 percent rise at Shoprite, the country’s largest retailer.

Cosatu supports the campaign against “all companies that still import Israeli goods or have any kind of business link,” spokesman Patrick Craven said by phone.

The group hasn’t targeted Woolworths in particular, he said.

The ANC had links with the Palestine Liberation Organization during the struggle against white-minority rule in South Africa.

BDS will have support from individual shareholders and representatives of small-investor groups at the annual meeting, Desai said.

He doesn’t yet know how much stock they account for, he said.

The group is trying to garner support from the Public Investment Corporation, Woolworths’ biggest shareholder with a 14 percent stake, and hasn’t yet had a response.

The PIC didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment. - Bloomberg News

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