Days after Mozambique’s government granted Israel nationals visa waivers, a group of Mozambican citizens decided to establish an Israeli Apartheid free zone, first of its kind in the country.
The initiative is promoted by Mozambique’s Association of Friendship and Solidarity with the Palestinian People (ASP), whose honorary chairperson is former President Joaquim Chissano and the chairperson is former Health Minister Ivo Garrido.
The free zone will be hosted at the premises of the Mozambican company Sir Motors, made available by its chairperson, businessman Amade Camal.
This initiative piggybacks on the Boycott, Divestment and Solidarity (BDS)’s Apartheid Free Zones campaign, which promotes the creation of spaces of proactive solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Speaking at a public ceremony for the unveiling of a commemorative plaque dedicating the premises a free zone, Garrido said that the event marked the celebration of the Anti-Israel Apartheid Week in Mozambique, the first time ASP organises since its constitution.
This is because “Israel is the only country in the world where apartheid still exists“, said Garrido, adding that “the Palestinian people continues to be oppressed and this week, we organised a series of activities in solidarity with the brotherly people of Palestine”.
He said that ASP’s activities will continue until “the total and complete liberation of Palestine from the oppressive and colonial regime of Israel”.
ASP’s wishes is to promote the establishment of zones of economic, political, academic and cultural boycott of Israeli interests in Mozambique. Thus, “Sir Motors becomes the first place that refuses to sell Israeli products,” he said.
Amade Camal said that the new generations of Mozambicans might not know what exactly was apartheid, thinking that it is only a philosophical principle. He reminded those presents that Mozambicans and other Africans also suffered under the apartheid South Africa and the racist regime of Rhodesia.
Camal added that ASP “is against Israel’s apartheid. But Israel is also a victim of the beneficiaries from destabilisation in that region, who are suppliers of military equipment and buyers of fossil fuels.” For good measure, he said that “these are the worst culprits who gave Palestine to the Zionist govern of Israel, and who today make hypocritical speeches and we condemn that.”
Also speaking at the event was Fayez Adbu Jawad, Palestinian ambassador in Mozambique, who thanked ASP for its support to the Palestinian cause, “which for 75 years lives under the yoke of colonialism”.
It remains to be seen whether the actions of the association will bear fruits, especially because, increasingly, Israel nationals are doing business in Mozambique, as shown by the establishment , in 2020, of the Mozambique-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACIMI) with a focus on agriculture, energy, health and water. Furthermore, the Mozambican government has been cooperating with Israel in the military area.
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