Focus Areas
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South Africa Coal Exports
South Africa Coal Exports
Despite South Africa's historic anti-apartheid legacy and its leading role in the ICJ genocide case against Israel, South African coal continues to flow to Israel through the Richards Bay Coal Terminal, sustaining its electricity grid and military infrastructure. These exports power illegal settlements, military bases, and the surveillance systems that enforce apartheid. When Colombia passed a presidential decreee stopping the export of coal to Israel, South Africa picked up the deficit and increased exports to Israel. The corporations extracting the coal, like Glencore, have histories of dispossession against Black and Indigenous communities that directly echo Palestinian experiences.There is a direct contradiction between South Africa's principled foreign policy stance and its economic relationships, one that civil society pressure, parliamentary advocacy and international solidarity can end. Institutional support for Palestine must be accompanied with materially meaningful action; the kind of support that helped end apartheid in South Africa.
WHAT WE DO
This campaign has two components of work. On the subject of raising public awareness, we expose the coal export routes, shipping companies and trade agreements to raise the profile of these coal exports and connect them across the geographies of Africa and Europe. We also work on building back the structural power of workers through knowledge exchanges, webinars and coalitions in South Africa. Our campaign in Brazil provides the template to organise across the supply chain.
Take Action
Call on the South African government, trade unions, and authorities to immediately halt coal exports to the Israeli colonial regime.
Demand an end to all exports that sustain Israeli genocide.
Support BDS South Africa's legal petition
Sign the petition putting pressure on the shipping companies involved in the supply.
PARTICIPATE IN THE CHANGE
Everyone can play a role against energy oppression. Disrupting energy flows can be achieved at every node of the supply chain, and by challenging the infrastructure that sustains it. Join workers and communities already taking action. Pressure your bank, your pension fund, your university, your union, your government.
End energy complicity. Energy embargo now.
