South African company confirms withdrawal from Israeli take-over of Clover Dairy
13 April 2019
The human rights and Palestine solidarity organisation BDS South Africa welcomes the announcement by the South African firm, Brimstone Investment Corporation, to fully exit the Israeli take-over of our country's largest dairy company, Clover Industries.
The announcement was made via a SENS notice (12 April 2019), wherein Brimstone states that it has entered into an agreement "to facilitate [its] exit from its participation in the Clover Transaction. As a result, Brimstone will not be participating in the Clover Transaction..."
On 22 March 2019 Brimstone had announced that it was, at that stage, "reviewing" its participation. The then review and now exit of Brimstone from the Israeli take-over of Clover comes following an outcry from South African civil society organizations, trade unions and the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, who have all opposed the deal based on the principle that it is being led by an Israeli company which is complicit in gross violations of human rights (*see below)
Israel’s Central Bottling Company (CBC), together with several smaller partners (previously including the South African firm Brimstone) intend to take-over Clover Dairy for R4.8 Billion. If the deal proceeds, Israel’s CBC will take control of 59.5% of the South African milk and dairy company. CBC is deeply complicit in human rights abuses and violations of international law (*see below)