The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] takes this opportunity in warmly welcoming the decision by South Africa’s Minister of Sport and Recreation to boycott the upcoming Davis Cup over the participation of a team from Israel. The tennis match with Israel is due to take place on the 2nd of February in Centurion.

In a letter to civil society organizations, Minister Nxesi explained that:

"International solidarity and the boycott against Apartheid South Africa played a big role in our liberation. Indeed, one of the most well-known slogans came out of that context - 'no normal sport with an abnormal regime!’ […] I would actually have loved to attend the Davis Cup but given the concerns that activists and fellow South Africans are raising regarding the presence of an Israeli team I believe that it would not be proper for me to attend.”

In 1974, the finals of the 63rd edition of the Davis Cup (considered the “World Cup” of tennis), between Apartheid South Africa and India, was cancelled after India refused to travel to South Africa for the final in protest of the South African government's apartheid policies. The Indian tennis players and all other sports people who boycotted Apartheid South Africa in the 70s and 80s were true internationalists who contributed to our struggle against Apartheid. Likewise we are proud that Minister Nxesi, our South African Government and our people are contributing to the struggle of the Palestinian people.

Palestinians, after all, provided us with military training and other resources during the 1980’s in the fight against Apartheid. They were our friends then and they remain our friends even now. Israel supplied weapons to the Apartheid regime to kill our people, they were our enemy then and they remain our enemy now.

NEHAWU supports the public protest due to take place on Friday 2nd February 2018 at 14h00 outside the Davis Cup Israel tennis match that the Israel delegation will be at. We encourage all our members and members of the public to join us.
 

Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat