This communique serves to inform your Newspaper/Media Crew that the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) in the Free State Province is marching to Woolworths stores in Welkom today 15 May 2015.

The protest march by COSAS (which represents and organizes young school learners in South African schools) against Woolworths is in solidarity with the people of Palestine who continue to experience the harshest form of apartheid by the Israeli regime. We are therefore mobilizing all young people to boycott Woolworths which continues to have relations with Apartheid Israel. We will not be misled by Woolworths and their silly PR campaigns for example their MySchool programme or that of bringing USA musician Pharrell Williams to South Africa. We are telling Pharrell Williams, as school learners of South Africa, to cancel his shows in South Africa until Woolworths ends its relations with Israel.

Today's protest march starts at Thabong Community Center at 09h00 and ends at Goldfields Mall (where Woolworths store is located) in Welkom in the Free State. The protest march is expected to draw between 5000 and 10 000 young learners from various areas. The protest march is taking place on the 15th of May to also mark the Palestinian Nakba "Catastrophe".

A press conference will also be held at 14h30 at the Matjahbeng Local Municipality Main Building Room 428 (4th Floor) with representatives from several organizations including the provinicial leadership of COSAS, YCL, SASCO, BDS SA, ANC Youth League.

Hope that you will find the above in order. For further information and logistical arrangements contact Sipho Tsunke 073 630 2716/ 073 090 6927   

Issued by the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) Free State