Pressure is mounting for the South African government to stop mining companies from exporting coal to Israel amid claims the fuel contributes to the killing of Palestinians.
In the war on Gaza, it has been reported the Israeli army mostly uses technological tools powered by electricity produced from coal, of which SA is a supplier.
BDS sent letter demanding immediate halt to coal exports to Israel
Recently, the SA Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) coalition sent a letter to the government demanding an immediate halt to the coal supply deal.
BDS claims that allowing mining companies to continue exporting SA’s coal to Israel was contradictory because by so doing, the country was indirectly supporting the genocide against the people of Palestine, while the government had approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to stop the genocide.
“In January 2024, the ICJ confirmed there is a plausible risk of genocide, triggering obligations under international law on all states to prevent genocide, avoid complicity and not aid or assist in internationally wrongful acts.
“Yet SA coal continues to leave our shores and enter Israel’s electricity system, providing material support to Israel’s ongoing crimes against humanity,” BDS said.
It further stated that in March, the SA BDS coalition addressed formal demands to Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau, calling for the immediate use of statutory powers to prohibit the export of SA coal to Israel and delivered its report, Fuelling Genocide.
“On 1 April, SA BDS addressed an urgent demand to the Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy, calling for immediate steps to investigate, detain and prohibit vessels intending to load or transport SA coal to Israel.
Coalition demands Creecy stop vessels with coal to Israel
“We also addressed correspondence to the department of international relations and cooperation demanding urgent legal and executive guidance to ensure the SA state acts consistently with its constitutional and international obligations.”
The organisation argues that the SA government’s constitutional and international legal obligations were unambiguous and the government has the power in law to take immediate measures to halt “these complicit exports”.
The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) has also joined the struggle to halt the coal deal.
Cosatu’s Matthew Parks said the federation and its affiliates have long opposed Israel’s wars of aggression against its neighbours and its occupation of the Palestinian territory and, more recently, its genocidal war against Gaza.
“We support any legal efforts to end Israeli aggression. This includes taking it to the ICJ as well as calls to divest, boycott and sanction,” Parks said.
“It’s long overdue that the UN Security Council shows the necessary leadership on this matter and places sanctions upon Israel, just as it did to apartheid SA.
Cosatu backs BDS
“This is key to ending the war and allowing the Palestinian people the right to self-determination. Glencore should find alternative markets.”
Mining expert David van Wyk said it would not be easy for the government to stop this as coal was mined by private mining companies and not by the government. He said private companies have offtake agreements with other countries globally.
However, he said government policy in its membership of Brics was not aligned with the private economic ownership of the economy.
“Western-owned mining companies will align with Washington. If our minerals fuel conflicts globally, we should exert political control. We need more effective oversight from parliament, more effective regulation and more public transparency.”
Kaamil Alli, Tau’s spokesperson, said the department had received the letter from SA BDS and will respond in due course.
Minerals Council spokesperson Allan Seccombe said the council does not comment on contractual agreements companies have reached with customers.
Glencore declined comment
African Rainbow Minerals declined to comment and referred questions to its business partner, Glencore. Glencore spokesperson Shivani Chetram said: “Glencore will not comment.”
Political analyst Goodenough Mashego said: “The BDS coalition has a case to demand that any business deals with Israel be postponed, especially given that SA has taken the matter of the genocide to the ICJ.
“But this is a private transaction between Glencore and the Israeli companies or government.
“So the SA government cannot demand Glencore breach its contract. What BDS can do is to demand SA impose economic sanctions on Israel.”
