CAPE TOWN - Pro-Palestine activists have been staging boycotts and weekly protests outside the Cape Union Mart stores since late 2023.
They accuse the company of being complicit in the Gaza conflict by allegedly funding organisations connected to the Israeli military.
Now, Cape Union Mart has approached the Western Cape High Court seeking an interdict to restrain the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) activists from staging protesting outside its stores.
The company alleges the activists have been barring customers from entering the stores and also harassing its workers.
Since November 2023, the PSC and other groups have protested the stores, claiming the brand and it's chairperson Philip Krawitz is associated with Israel.
They have called for consumer boycotts as part of broader protests against Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the unlawful occupation of Palestine.
Daniel Bloch, executive director of the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies, told eNCA outside court that Cape Union Mart's legal action was aimed at halting the lies and misinformation.
"The information they have is inaccurate, it's basically lies. It is defamatory not only against the organisation, but the owner of Philip Krawitz as well," Bloch said.
Bloch added: "The court action is not to stop the protests but its to put an end to the aggressive nature of the protesters. They have been barring the customers from entering the store, they have been aggressively intimidating and harassing staff and customers. If they want to stand outside and scream 'Free Palestine', that's fine. But to accuse someone of genocide, rape and baby killing is lies and misinformation."
But Khalid Sayed, a Western Cape ANC member, said the protests were about creating awareness and not blocking patrons from going into Cape Union Mart stores.
"This protest emanates from people's unwavering solidarity with the people of Palestine. The South African government at a national level has taken a firm stance by taking Israel to the ICJ. The protesters here are being victimised essentially because of their solidarity with the people of Palestine. South Africa cannot be considered free, until Palestine is free."
The Western Cape High Court is set to hear the matter at 10am.