“Why don’t you ask permission?”: speech from Khadja Bedati

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Management Board and Supervisory Board,

My name is Khadja Bedati, I speak for the Saharawi Youth and Ethical Shareholders Germany.

Last year, at the Annual General Meeting, I raised the issue of the cement factory in the Moroccan-occupied areas of Western Sahara.

It is commendable, Dr. Scheifele, that you are in favour of a peaceful and consensual solution to the Western Sahara conflict. You have acknowledged that Ciments du Maroc has built two grinding plants in the area whose international legal status has not been clarified, and that a referendum on this very issue is still pending. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/agm-2019-en/why-dont-you-ask-permission-speech-from-khadja-bedati/

“We have hope”: Speech from Jo Seoka

Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to participate in your AGM. I am Johannes Seoka, former Bishop of the Anglican Church in Diocese of Pretoria in the Anglican Church of South Africa for 18 years. I am here representing and speaking on behalf of the Plough Back the Fruits Campaign constituted by South African, European and British network.

Last year Mr Bock cynically asked me not to come back this year. In fact, this is the major reason of being here today. I must say that though I was offended by his attitude, I decided to be forgiving and to be optimistic about our relationship for the sake of those who have entrusted me with the responsibility to speak on their behalf. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/basf-se/we-have-hope-speech-from-jo-seoka/

“Entangled history of violent exploitation of nature and labour in Africa”: speech from Daniel Selwyn

Good afternoon. My name is Daniel Selwyn and I’m here to represent the London-based Marikana Solidarity Collective, which includes London Mining Network, War on Want, the Pan-Afrikan Society Community Forum, the Marikana Miners Solidarity Campaign, and the collective Decolonising Environmentalism of which I am a member. Before I ask some questions about your primary platinum supplier Lonmin, I would like to pay my respects to Bishop Jo Seoka and Andries Nkome here today, who have been such tireless advocates for the Marikana community, as well as to those who cannot be here with us today: from the women of Sikhala Sonke and those left widowed by the massacre, to the mineworkers injured, illegally arrested and still imprisoned, to the millions of Africans who been murdered for the accumulation of profit over centuries. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/basf-se/entangled-history-of-violent-exploitation-of-land-and-raw-materials-in-africa-speech-from-daniel-selwyn/

BASF: Massive job losses at platinum supplier Lonmin in South Africa

  • Notorious mining company Sibanye-Stillwater wants to take over Lonmin
  • Threat of massive job losses exacerbates precarious living conditions in Marikana
  • International Campaign calls on BASF to agree steps to improve living and working conditions across its supply chain

At BASF’s Annual General Meeting on May 3 in Mannheim, the South African-European campaign Plough Back the Fruits will condemn the German chemical company for neglecting human rights in its business relations with South Africa.

Almost seven years after the Marikana Massacre, where over a hundred miners were shot by the police, killing 34, working and living conditions remain unacceptable at Lonmin, BASF’s most important platinum supplier. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/basf-se/basf-mass-job-losses-at-platinum-supplier-lonmin-in-south-africa/

“Why do you operate in Western Sahara without asking for permission?”: Khadja Bedati

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
dear Management Board and Supervisory Board,

my name is Khadja Bedati and I speak for the Saharawi Youth and Ethical Shareholders Germany.

I am here to express my concern that Continental continues to fail to respect the rights of the people of occupied Western Sahara and does not to seek consent to operate in our country.

On 10 January 2018, the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice made it clear that Western Sahara is occupied by Morocco, that international humanitarian law applies to Western Sahara and that the agreement between the EU and Morocco is invalid because it includes Western Sahara. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/continental-ag/why-do-you-operate-in-western-sahara-without-asking-for-permission-khadja-bedati/

Countermotion

Re agenda item 3: Approval to the actions of the members of the Supervisory Board

Ethical Shareholders Germany requests that no formal approval should be given to the actions of the members of the Supervisory Board.

Rationale:

The Supervisory Board has performed its task as the controlling body of the Board of Executive Directors only inadequately. BASF’s actions to date are not sufficient to make an effective contribution to achieving the goals of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, the UN Global Compact and the National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights of the federal German government, to which BASF has committed itself. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/basf-se/countermotion-2019/

African raw materials for Germany. BASF as an example of supply chain responsibility

Event with Bishop Jo Seoka 2 May 2019, 7pm at VHS Heidelberg

In 2012 over 3000 South African miners went on strike in Marikana. The mining company Lonmin has been refusing to comply with the binding social plan for years. But the strike was brutally ended by the police and 34 workers died in a hail of bullets. BASF buys a large part of the platinum extracted in Marikana to use as catalysts, but rejects responsibility for the strike and its consequences, although it was fully aware of the workers’ situation – this was the only way platinum could be so cheap. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/lonmin-plc/african-raw-materials-for-germany-basf-as-an-example-of-supply-chain-responsibility/

Lonmin’s profits rise as Marikana community continues to suffer

Protesting Lonmin AGM

Lonmin announces solid financial performance ahead of drawn out takeover while refusing to secure 12,600 mine workers’ jobs

At Lonmin’s annual general meeting on 25 March 2019, while protesters gathered outside, the London-listed company announced profits of US$100 million. It spoke of preserving its assets rather than investing in the company ahead of a takeover bid by the gold mining giant Sibanye-Stillwater.

Lonmin executives urged shareholders to back the bid by the South African corporation, in a meeting that would have been focused on salvaging profit and shares, were it not for an alliance of Marikana solidarity groups present. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/lonmin-plc/lonmins-profits-rise-as-marikana-community-continues-to-suffer/