Call for a National Boycott of Clover

June 2021

Call for a National Boycott of Clover

Greetings from the Palestine Solidarity Alliance

This communication is to request your support for a National Boycott of the Israeli owned Clover Company in response to the call by Palestinian Civil Society for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.

The South African Clover Brand as we know it is no more!

 They were bought out by a Consortium Milco

 The Central Bottling Company (CBC) an Israeli company is the majority shareholder, owning 60% of Milco.

 CBC has been found guilty of consumer fraud by Israeli courts.

 CBC operates in the illegal Israeli settlements, in the occupied West Bank and Syrian Golan Heights. Israel’s military occupation expels Palestinian families, including children, from their homes to give way for these settlements. Israeli settlements are considered war crimes under international law.

 The CBC directly funds the Israeli Defence Force as well as the election campaigns of Netanyahu.

 During the 2014 Israeli attack on Gaza, which left 1400 Palestinians dead, the CBC facilitated supplies to the IDF.

 Milco and the CBC are thus directly implicated in War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.

 Despite opposition from worker’s unions and human rights groups the SA Competition Commission approved the takeover, disregarding the serious case regarding Milco’s complicity in the violation of human rights and the South African Constitution.

The Israeli consortium’s takeover of Clover is a deal with the Apartheid state. In the name of Human Rights for All, we as South Africans must reject this syndicate.

“South Africans understand that we share a common bond with people pursuing freedom and we recognise the need to show solidarity with People of Palestine in their pursuit of justice and equality. We trust that those who stood up against an oppressive and racist regime at home will pursue this goal nationally, regionally, continentally and internationally”.

“Numerous UN resolutions and prevailing international opinion hold that Israeli settlements are illegal and in contravention of International Law.”

As a social movement committed to justice, we call on Palestine Solidarity Organisations; Community Based Organisation (CBOs), Business Community, Trade Unions, faith-based organizations (FBO’s), political forces and community volunteers to stand up and be counted as global citizens speaking against injustice and oppression.

The main goals of this campaign is to:

 Respond to the call by Palestinian Civil Society to intensify BDS Campaigns;

 Impact Israeli companies from an economic and reputational perspective by exposing their human rights violation;

 Increase the National Consciousness with regards to Palestine;

 Push the SA Government towards sanctions and ensuring that the SA government does to not close a similar deal in future. Minister Naledi Pandor’s request for sanctions must be leveraged to intensify BDS;

 Continue to ensure that the media is continuously linked to the situation in Palestine; and

 Make South Africa an Apartheid Free Zone.

To take this campaign forward the PSA will:

 Forward a toolkit to all organisations that support this campaign. The toolkit will include educational material that will assist you to embark on the campaign in your area. It will also include a list of alternative products and guidelines on discussions with store owners.
 Support you with material you may require (posters, videos, stickers, magnets).

To escalate this campaign, the PSA Youth League has called for a National Day of Action on 16 June 2021. In support of this call your organisation can decide to:

 Distribute a memorandum to store owners of small shops requesting them not to procure clover products;
 Go into large stores and put clover products into trolleys and disrupt the stores; and or
 Picket in front of stores and hand over a memorandum to the store owners.

Register your participation in the National Day of Action:

 You are encouraged to register your participation to receive materials for the National Day of Action.

 Send an email to info@psayl.co.za or Whatsapp Altaaf Adam on 081 516 4126

Mobilising communities after the Day of action. How everyone in your community / organisation can get involved:

 Store owners
o Support the call by not stocking any Clover Products

 Shoppers

o Disrupt the store by loading clover products into a trolley
o Handover a memorandum to the store owner or manager (this will be drafted by the PSA)

 Employees

o Refuse to handle Clover Stock
o Not to pack clover products on the shelves

Should you wish to join the call for a National Clover Boycott:

 Send an email to info@palestinesa.co.za or karodidfiroza@gamil.com
 Send contact details of a representative from your area / organisation

For additional information contact
Firoza Mayet

083 634 6093