Calls to halt Glencore's coal exports to Israel

SABC News 3 February 2026

SABC: As my colleague stated earlier today, we are here at the Melrose offices of Glencore where pro Palestinian officials and organizations have come to protest against [cheering] Glencore for supplying coal to Israel. What they say is contradictory to South Africa's actions for taking Israel to the ICJ in protest against what they deem a genocide for Gaza. I'm here with Thiago Ávila. He is the coordinating member for the Global Sumud Flotilla from Brazil. Thank you so much for taking time to speak to us today. My first question is what brought you to South Africa to come and protest here at Glencore?

Thiago: First of all, we came to South Africa to thank the South African people for the beautiful and immense solidarity with the Palestinian people. The people of South Africa experienced apartheid. So they know very well the violations that the Palestinian go through. Nelson Mandela always connected it all. So the people in South Africa were very important for the solidarity movement right now against the genocide. not only the the court case in ICJ but also mobilizing for our flotillas for our solidarity actions to break the siege of Gaza and here exposing the complicity of companies that have been exporting culture feel the genocide that has shocking the world that's been starving children to death that has been bombing hospitals schools shelters and creating the most horrific violations that we see in this generation okay and just going on what you're saying about complacency of course we remember what happened last year with the Global Flotilla.

SABC: Why do you think it's so important to try and stop corporations, corporations and private businesses most importantly from supporting Israel? We understand that the genocide is created by a system that enables the genocide to happen because they see [music] the exploitation, the bombing of people as profit. They increase their profit when the industrial military complex demands more cop for example. So we need to expose them for it. We need to make sure that war is not a profitable business because it is not a good business for any person in this world for the people who are at the end of these 2,000 pound bombs that they throw or who are in in front of these tanks that run over their homes or their bodies. We need to make sure that this is not a profitable business. This it's shameful that some companies prefer their quarterly profit report than people's lives. And I'm sure the South African people do not support that at all. So this is done at the back of the South African people which in general are very solid there with the Palestinian people.

SABC: Can you give us a little peek into what the next summit will look like? So when you sail in a few months, can you give us an idea of what that will look like?

Thiago: We are sailing very very soon. It will be a much bigger flotilla than what we had in the past. In the past, we had about 460 participants coming from 44 countries with 45 votes. This time around, we are targeting at least 100 boats with more than 3,000 participants and this time we are helping in the rebuilding process of Gaza. So we are bringing with us educators people from the health sector people who are going against ecocide and medicine and all of these other types of genocides that is happening inside of the Gaza.

SABC: Thank you. And you spoke of Glencore's complicity. I want to ask you why do you think it's so important now for the people to band together to fight against private corporations that you say are contributing and aiding the genocide happening in Gaza?

Thiago: Glencore and other corporations are consumers. They fall to the hands of consumers. They act upon what the people want. So the people are the ones who are in power. The people are the ones who have the voice. The people have to show corporations today that we will not support those who stand with these criminals, with these wararm mongers and with these baby killers. We should push them away and tell them that we support corporations with values. We support corporations who have the ethical means to work in places that do not support this type of manslaughter that is happening in our generation today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMrzVte8bGk

Back




© Copyright BRICS From Below