A “disappointing” decision by Orlando Pirates has sparked calls for protest and boycott against the local football team.
The General Industries Workers Union Of South Africa (GIWUSA) called for protest against the decision by the team to proceed with a friendly match against Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The union’s secretary in the Western Cape, Abeedah Adams, said it was a smack in the face to oppressed Palestinians. She would have expected better from a team that lived through the struggles of apartheid in South Africa after its founding in 1937.
“This is really an insult to the Palestinian people. The statement from Orlando Pirates we find very disappointing and we see this simply as them (the owners and managers) just looking after the interest of the profits and not considering the very proud history of Orlando Pirates,” she said.
SMread: Orlando Pirates ‘friendly match’ sparks outrage
Struggle
Furious about Orlando Pirates’s insistence to go ahead with the scheduled friendly match on Thursday (13 July), Adams said this was inconsiderate of the team’s own history and struggle against apartheid.
“During apartheid years, they were not allowed or afforded these kinds of opportunities,” she said. “They are now allowed this opportunity to go play their friendlies in Spain and wherever in the world, of course the owners are even making more money, but this only became possible after we fought and won against the apartheid regime.”
Adams accused the owners and manager of forgetting about the discrimination the team historically faced. She noted the role of boycotts in bringing about the demise of apartheid in South Africa, adding Orlando Pirates ought to understand why they should not play against an Israeli team.
“This victory is also because of international solidarity. South Africa was ostracised by the academic community, the cultural community, the sporting community and we had different forms of sanctions. This is why we are saying that as South Africa and also as Orlando Pirates we should actually be leading this fight,” she said.
In response to the backlash from fans and supporters, the football club said its leadership had no choice in the matter. Instead, it said the pre-season camp was organised by a FIFA Match Agent.
“Orlando Pirates has no hand in organising the event. In fact, Orlando Pirates needed to fulfil a criteria qualifying us to participate. Orlando Pirates had no liaisons with any participating club or the organisers relating to fixtures. The fixtures were arrived at independently by the organisers,” a statement on their website read.
It further noted the team was “naturally conscious of the “plight of the Palestinian people” and hoped to see a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian “conflict”.
