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‘Those who brought this interdict are going into court with dirty hands.’
By FASEEGAH DAVIDS
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign Cape Town has been served legal papers by Cape Union Mart in light of the regular protests at some of its retail premises. The case has been filed in the Western Cape High Court.
‘The application has backfired on Cape Union Mart and [Philip] Krawitz. Following the [summons] we received various messages of support from all over the country supporting and committing to intensifying the boycott. Through this boycott we pierced a corporate veil where the supporters of apartheid Israel are placed in the dock and charged with complicity in the genocide of Palestinians,’ declared Professor Usuf Chikte, coordinator of the PSC Cape Town.
According to Simone Sulcas, group legal advisor for Cape Union Mart, ‘Cape Union Mart, together with its Executive Chairman, Philip Krawitz, categorically state that they have never donated funds to the Israeli army or Israeli government. More specifically, Cape Union Mart has never donated funds to any entities outside of South Africa, and its Executive Chairman has only donated funds for humanitarian purposes.’
But here’s where things get murky. The PSC and the broader Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement allege that Krawitz supports Zionist organisations within South Africa, which in turn support Israel’s actions, including its current war on Gaza. Whether or not that direct link is legally solid sparks a deeper and more interrogative question? What does complicity look like in a world where money moves faster than justice?
So, is this just a retail brand protecting its name, or is it a corporation using legal muscle to crush dissent?
‘Those who brought this interdict are going into court with dirty hands,’ says Professor Chikte. ‘This will no doubt be seen by the world for what it is.’
This case is not just about Cape Union Mart or the PSC, he adds. ‘It’s about all of us. It’s about how easy it is to spend without thinking, and how hard it is to speak without consequence. The legal system might say it’s about proof but the moral compass points somewhere deeper.’
This case will certainly spark discussion around conscious consumerism and will most probably be gritty, inconvenient and uncomfortable for all parties concerned. But pro-Palestine activists believe that’s perhaps exactly where it needs to be if one is serious about justice. As one activist stated, ‘We can’t just read headlines; we have to read receipts.’
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In a recent statement, the PSC Cape Town described the intended action by Cape Union Mart as a ‘SLAPP suit’.
‘This legal action is clearly intended to intimidate and silence the campaign for justice, peace, freedom and equality for Palestinians. It represents a textbook SLAPP suit ( Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) designed to suppress critical peaceful voices through legal intimidation,’ the PSC statement contended.
Sulcas told Muslim Views that a date for the hearing has yet to be confirmed.
