The Palestine solidarity human rights organization, BDS South Africa, welcomes the resolutions and recommendations of South Africa’s Parliamentary Portfolio Committee’s recent conference in support of the people of Palestine, Cuba and Western Sahara.

BDS South Africa particularly welcomes the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee’s conference resolution in support of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel campaign. We also welcome the recommendation to forward the 2009 Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) report that found Israel guilty of Apartheid to international bodies including the International Parliamentary Union, the International Criminal Court, the United Nations and the African Union.South Africa’s Parliamentary Portfolio Committee held a “Parliamentary Solidarity Conference in Support of the Peoples of Palestine, Western Sahara and Cuba” on Thursday the 6th of February 2014. The conference was opened by anti-apartheid struggle icon, Ahmed Kathrada, followed with an addresses by South Africa’s Deputy Minister of International Relations, Marius Fransman; Chairperson of South Africa’s Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on International Relations, Mr Tisetso Magama (MP); and the Ambassadors of Cuba, Palestine and Western Sahara.

The Parliamentary conference was attended (in addition to Members of Parliament) by a wide range of civil society organizations including representatives from South Africa’s largest trade union, COSATU; the South African Communist Party (SACP); the African National Congress (ANC); the African National Congress Youth League (ANC Youth League); the Congress of the People (COPE); the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF); the Coalition for a Free Palestine (CFP); the Friends of Cuba Society (FOCUS); the Western Sahara Solidarity Forum; Kairos Southern Africa; the Media Review Network (MRN); African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP); BDS South Africa and some members of the South African Jewish community who identify with the struggles of Palestine, Cuba and Western Sahara.

According to an invite sent out prior to the conference, South African Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on International Relations, Mr. Tiesto Magama explained that: “The solidarity conference is a first of its kind in Parliament. It is a culmination of extensive work carried out…in response to the call by President Zuma in his successive State of the Nation addresses since 2010, with a message that solidarity should feature as a strong element of South Africa’s internationalism…The primary focus of the conference is to make the people of South Africa aware of the common challenges facing the peoples of Cuba, Palestine and Western Sahara relating to the denial of human rights”

The full list of recommendations and resolutions adopted by the Parliamentary conference on the issue of Palestine follows below.

ISSUED BY MUHAMMED DESAI ON BEHALF OF BDS SOUTH AFRICA. FOR QUERIES CONTACT:

South African Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on International Relations: Lubabalo Sigwela, 0837098508, lsigwela@parliament.gov.za

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israeli in South Africa (BDS South Africa): Muhammed Desai, 0842119988, mdesai@bdssouthafrica.com

