South Africans protested on Thursday to demand that the government impose an embargo on all coal shipments to Israel. They are demanding an immediate halt on all exports due to what they have called a genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Protesters carried placards that read, “Glencore is fueling genocide, No South African coal for Israel, Ban coal exports to genocidal Israel.” Demonstrators said that Glencore’s coal exports keep Israel’s electricity grid on, enabling its deadly high-tech military to function.
An executive from the Media Review Network think tank called it appalling that South African coal fuels the slaughter of Palestinians. The demonstrators marched to government offices in Pretoria, Durban, and Cape Town to deliver their message to officials.
The president of a workers union said the demonstration was to protest what he called the hypocrisy of the South African government. He added that the country cannot supply coal to a state that it is currently taking to the International Court of Justice.
South Africa filed a case against Israel in late 2023 at the ICJ, accusing it of failing to uphold its commitments under the 1948 Genocide Convention. Israel has now killed more than 62,100 Palestinians in Gaza, with the military campaign also devastating the entire enclave.
The International Criminal Court has also issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Last month, Colombian President Gustavo Petro also threatened to alter Glencore’s contract if it continued to export to Israel.