OFFICE OF THE COSAS PRESIDENT GENERAL:

Cosas to meet with Minister of Basic Education on "Israeli Apartheid"

26 February 2015

The Congress of South African Students (COSAS), representing learners in primary and high schools across South Africa, held a press conference earlier today at ANC Head Office (Chief Albert Luthuli House, 54 Sauer Street, Johannesburg). Below is what we communicated at today's press briefing:

COSAS was shocked and saddened to witness the great tragedy against the Palestinian young people during last year's attacks on Gaza as we watched it on our TV screens, heard about it on radio, saw it on social media. We have subsequently been following the cause of the brave Palestinian children very closely. We now understand that the abuse of the Palestinian children is actually a daily activity of Israeli brutality. The abuse is every day. An abuse which we the children of South Africa will assist in stopping.

We have recommitted ourselves to the Palestinian struggle against Israeli apartheid, with this in mind COSAS has undertaken to mobilise all young people in all schools to participate in this year's 11th International Israeli Apartheid week campaign. This is our official endorsement.

In addition we feel that our support for Palestinian people must go beyond next week. We have no doubt that Israel is an apartheid state and cannot continue to act with such utter impunity and with that in mind we have written an urgent letter to the Department of Basic Education. We hereby have convened this press conference to make an announcement that COSAS has received a positive response from the Department of Basic Education and will be officially meeting with the Ministry of Basic Education next week during Israeli Apartheid week. During our meeting with the Minister we will discuss amongst other things the following:

1. The compulsory inclusion into our school curriculum of the Palestinian struggle against Israeli Apartheid as an anti-colonial struggle. In particular, the comparison between South African Apartheid and Israeli Apartheid to be explained within the curriculum

2. The Department of Basic Education to take a delegation of learners to Palestinian West Bank Schools and Gaza Schools to meet Palestinian learners and experience the struggle that learners there are subjected to. We do not want to go to Apartheid Israel, at all.

3. We must be taught generally on the anti-apartheid movement not only which was active here in South Africa but also the successful involvement movement that was built by leaders including OR Tambo, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and others in other countries advancing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Apartheid SA.

4. We refuse to accept tainted money from Israeli organizations, Israeli government and entities sympathetic to the Israeli Government. We want the DBE to ban any such funding from these entities and/or collaboration with such entities.

5. We refuse money from the MySchool program that is backed by Woolworths - a company that is trading with Apartheid Israel and want the Department of Basic Education adopts this position official.

6. The topic of Palestine and Israeli Apartheid to be added as a topic in all speech contests and debate competitions. 

7. All classrooms to put up a compulsory Israeli Apartheid Week poster that must be enforced by the DBE.

Click here for photos from today's press conference.

Statement issued by Khulekani Skosana, Secretary-General of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS), February 26 2015

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