By Hassan Isilow
JOHANNESBURG
A powerful body representing South Africans demanded on Thursday that the Palestinian struggle against the Israeli occupation be include in curriculum as an anti-colonial struggle.
"The Congress of South African Students (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," COSAS President Sandra Baloyi told reporters Thursday at the headquarters of the ruling African National Congress Party (ANC).
She said that during their meeting with the ministry they will discuss a number of issues, which include the compulsory inclusion into school curriculum of the Palestinian struggle against Israel as an anti-colonial struggle.
"In particular, the comparison between South African apartheid and Israeli apartheid to be explained within the curriculum," Baloyi asserted.
COSAS also plans to ask the Department of Basic Education to take a delegation of South African students to Palestinian schools to meet with fellow learners and experience the struggle they are subjected to.
"We feel we cannot be South African students who are not feeling the pain of other students in the world," said Khulekani Skosana, the COSAS Gauteng provincial secretary.
"We refuse to accept tainted money from Israeli organizations, the Israeli government and other entities sympathetic to the Israeli government," he said.
The powerful student body urged the Department of Basic Education to ban any such funding.
"Dirty money comes with taint, if you accept it you become tainted," Skosana insisted.
The student body also said it has recommitted itself to the Palestinian struggle against what the Israeli occupation.
"We are planning to organize protest marches across the country," Skosana said.
"By Friday you will be hearing police sirens with police marshaling students to the nearest Woolworth store (a major retail chain store accused of selling Israeli goods)," he added.
Last year, students and young activists from the South African chapter of the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign increased protests outside Woolworth stores nationwide.
The activists asked the retailer to remove Israeli products from its shelves.
COSAS has also decided to mobilize all young people in all schools to participate in this year's International Israeli Apartheid week campaign.
"This is our official endorsement," it announced.
The annual week will kick off on March 2.
