Rejecting Defamation: SAJBD stand with Cape Union Mart and Philip Krawitz

Cape Union Mart is a proudly South African business with a long-standing record of local manufacturing, job creation, and investment in South African communities. It has been subjected to sustained defamation, intimidation, and economic pressure because of the lawful views and public positions of its leadership.

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) stands firmly in support of Philip Krawitz and Cape Union Mart as the Western Cape High Court hears this matter on 15, 17 and 18 June 2026.

At its core, this matter engages an increasingly concerning phenomenon: the use of public pressure campaigns to isolate and penalise individuals and businesses because their views differ from those of their critics. This is not legitimate democratic engagement. It is an attempt to cancel or exclude people from economic and public life because of their opinions.

The impact of this case goes beyond a single company. It reflects a growing concern within the South African Jewish community regarding the targeting and defamation of Jewish businesses, resulting in exclusion, stigma, and economic coercion.

Furthermore, we reject the inclusion in these protests of clearly antisemitic imagery and rhetoric, including the display of swastikas outside Cape Union Mart stores. The swastika is widely recognised as a symbol of antisemitic hatred and persecution. South African jurisprudence, including the matter of SAHRC obo SAJBD v Masuku and Others, has affirmed that such expressions can constitute hate speech.

No person should be made to feel unsafe in their workplace or business because of who they are or what they believe. Upholding that principle strengthens not only Cape Union Mart, but also the constitutional values that protect all South Africans and underpin our democracy.