Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 4 February 2026
Norman Mampane
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Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin
‘Whoever sides with the revolutionary people in deed as well as in word is a revolutionary in the full sense’-Maoo
Our side of the story
4 February 2026
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
Organize at every workplace and demand respect for labour rights Now!
Defend Jobs Now!
Join COSATU NOW!
Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- NUM members protest outside IDC Head Office as corporation moves to liquidate cast Products SA, threatening hundreds of jobs
- DITSELA Institute invites Educators, Skills Development Officers in all federations at the 2026 Worker Education Program Launch
- African Unions invited to Trade Unions for Energy Democracy Africa Regional Quarterly Virtual Meeting
- South Africa
- COSATU Gauteng welcomes the conversion of Crime Prevention Wardens to Peace Officers but is concerned by the push back by right-wing liberal organisations
- COSATU Limpopo Post Provincial Political Commission Statement
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Martha Orozco makes history as first woman to join USO Colombia’s national executive committee
- Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) blocked on 2 February from entering the occupied Palestinian territories
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
NUM members protest outside IDC Head Office as corporation moves to liquidate cast Products SA, threatening hundreds of jobs
Senzo Mncwango, NUM PWV Regional Secretary, 4 February 2026
JOHANNESBURG — The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) confirms that its members at Cast Products SA are currently staged in a protest outside the offices of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). This action follows the IDC’s sudden and destructive decision to reject a viable rescue deal, opting instead to push the company toward liquidation.
Cast Products SA entered a voluntary Business Rescue process in 2022 with a clear mandate: to stabilize the business and secure a suitable equity partner. After years of uncertainty, a deal was finally reached and approved by the Business Rescue Practitioners (BRPs) that would have seen a new shareholder take over the business and resume operations.
Despite this progress, the IDC has "shifted the goalposts," rejecting the finalized deal and cutting off all funding. This reversal has halted all production at the plants, leaving workers in limbo and the company on the brink of total collapse.
Quote from the NUM:
"The IDC is supposed to be an agent of industrial development and job preservation, yet their actions here are the exact opposite. By rejecting a deal that the BRPs had already agreed to, the IDC is effectively choosing to destroy livelihoods rather than save them. We are here to demand that the IDC stops the liquidation process and allows the new shareholder to finalize the purchase. We cannot allow hundreds of workers to be sacrificed due to bureaucratic indecision," said Senzo Mncwango, NUM PWV Regional Secretary.
The NUM views the move toward liquidation as a betrayal of the Business Rescue process and a direct assault on the industrial capacity of South Africa. The union calls on the IDC leadership to return to the table and prioritize the preservation of jobs and the local economy over the permanent closure of the plants.
The protest will continue until the IDC provides a clear commitment to reconsider the deal and prevent the liquidation of Cast Products SA.
The NUM calls on the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition to intervene and find a solution.
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DITSELA Institute invites Educators, Skills Development Officers in all federations at the 2026 Worker Education Program Launch
January 2026
Attention: Educators & National/Provincial Office Bearers Responsible for Education
Dear comrades and colleagues,
Ditsela Programme 2026 Theme: “Educate, Engage, Empower for Resilient and Inclusive Labour Movement”
You are invited to the launch of the 2026 Ditsela Programme
Date: Thursday 12 February 2026
Time 10h00 – 12h00
Venue: Ditsela Offices
Johannesburg Office
21 Marshall Street
4th Floor t
Johannesburg
We would like to urge educators to make every effort to ensure that office bearers responsible for education are available for this meeting. In 2025 we tried to include office bearers in all strategic activities so that they could engage with Ditsela on the priorities for workers’ education; this has proved to be a very successful way of communicating with our constituency about workers’ education.
In this meeting we will be sharing:
▪ New developments for 2026 Programme
▪ Recruitment processes to Ditsela Programme
▪ Required documentation for the application
Note: Ditsela would like affiliates to share their Union programme as well to establish areas of collaboration.
Please confirm your attendance by completing the reply slip to vero...@ditsela.org.za
Fax: 011 492-0302
Yours in the continued struggle for power through education.
Khanyisile Khanyi
Programme Manager
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African Unions invited to Trade Unions for Energy Democracy Africa Regional Quarterly Virtual Meeting
Dear Comrades
SAVE THE DATE: 10th February 2026
Africa Regional Quarterly Virtual Meeting
Please join us for a virtual meeting of African unions and their allies on:
February 10th, 2026. Time: Johannesburg. South Africa/16:00, Tunisia/15:00.
Find your local time here:
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html
Anyone that wants to attend must please register. All registrants will receive a zoom link. RSVP:
Please register HERE. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/g1hf5pbiS5WPSMXDB92Ziw#/registration
Interpretation: to be confirmed! Dependent on the need and resources required.
Why This Meeting?
Join the meeting to listen to updates from Tunisia, South Africa, and Ghana regarding renewable energy costs, the unbundling and privatization of energy institutions, and the role of private sector participation, amongst other things.
See article attached on the Tunisia case study of the cost of renewable energy.
Kind Regards
Suraya Jawoodeen
on behalf of the TUED team
COSATU Gauteng welcomes the conversion of Crime Prevention Wardens to Peace Officers but is concerned by the push back by right-wing liberal organisations
Louisah Modikwe, COSATU Gauteng Provincial Secretary, 04 February 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the conversion of Crime Prevention Wardens to Peace Officers as announced by the troika comprising the Ministers for Justice and Constitutional Development, Police and the Gauteng Premier.
We welcome this milestone as part of the implementation of the remedial actions recommended by the Public Protector. This announcement guarantees that 9 300 jobs will be saved and the communities will receive much needed peace and protection.
COSATU in Gauteng will work together with our Affiliate, POPCRU and the Gauteng Department of Community Safety to properly align the conditions of service for the Peace Wardens and bring them fully in the public service.
The Federation in Gauteng is, however, concerned by recent legal threats by right-wing and liberal organisations led by the Democratic Alliance, Afriforum and Solidarity. Their threats reflect organisations that have no interest in the safety of Black communities but are more interested to use the Black working class to undermine our constitutionally sanctioned transformation journey, and in particular the need to uplift the poor and the working class.
COSATU in Gauteng calls for these organisations to desist from what we believe are racist tendencies and to work towards building an inclusive province where Black and White communities are treated the same. These organisations must not weaponise the process of providing safety and peace to working-class communities by adding obstacles to address our high levels of crime by the Premier of Gauteng and the Gauteng Provincial Government.
We also call communities to see the DA, Afriforum and Solidarity for who they really are and where their interests rest in this matter, which is the safety of the minority at the expense of majority citizens.
Issued by COSATU Gauteng
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COSATU Limpopo Post Provincial Political Commission Statement
Hangwani Mashao, COSATU Limpopo Provincial Secretary, 4 February 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in Limpopo, convened its Special Provincial Political Commission on 3 February 2026, a sequel to the Special Provincial Executive Committee of 28 January 2026, which mandated the commission to sit and consider the current domestic and international political environment and make the necessary determinations to consolidate and advance the working-class struggles towards an egalitarian world order.
§ On Developments in Limpopo Province
The Commission observed that it was taking place when our ally, the African National Congress, was set to have its 11th provincial conference at the end of March 2026. The commission declared that the conference should represent a step forward towards achieving the objectives of the National Democratic Revolution. Some of those objectives include social and economic development, job security and the eradication of unemployment.
The Commission was elated to observe that there are moves towards the unity of our liberation movement, in our province. The Federation supports any work towards unity and dissuades any conduct or action that divides the ANC and its members and by extension the members of the Federation and the entire revolutionary Alliance.
We therefore resolved to endorse and support the efforts towards unity while fully aware that the ANC branches are still going to consider the unity initiatives.
The Federation in Limpopo Province supports the ANC official leadership collective, which is being proposed to advance unity, as follows:
§ Chairperson - Cde Phophi Ramathuba
§ Deputy Chairperson - Cde John Mpe
§ Secretary - Cde Reuben Madadzhe
§ Deputy Secretary - Cde Pule Shai
§ Treasurer - Cde Eddie Maila
Further to that we support all the current leaders from the ranks of the Federation who are serving in the current PEC and in the legislature to be members of the incoming PEC. We will also support all comrades from COSATU who may be proposed by their branches and regions.
§ On the International Balance of Forces
The Federation is also concerned about the resurgence of reactionary elements and global right-wing movements and governments who have links with rightwing reactionary groups in our country.
These groups, with their international allies, continue to undermine our country and the democratic gains of our nation. They represent the rise of the white supremacist fascist ideology on the international stage, and within each nation state, with the most vicious of its form being the capture of the President of Venezuela, Nicholas Maduro and his wife Cellia Flores.
This represents what Lenin taught us, as the working class, that capitalism at its highest stage will emerge as imperialism, with all its vile ramifications. The Federation condemns all these wars of capitalist accumulation. It further calls for international bodies such as the UN and its organs, to be engaged to resolve any differences and conflicts instead of unilateral actions by individual states. The Federation in Limpopo Province reiterates the call for the unconditional release of President Maduro and his wife Cellia Flores.
We commit ourselves to join hands with all components of the Alliance and progressive forces in society in programmes to advance the interests of the working class.
Issued by COSATU Limpopo
International-Solidarity
Martha Orozco makes history as first woman to join USO Colombia’s national executive committee
4 February, 2026
On 15 January, Martha Orozco became the first woman elected to the national executive committee in the 100-year history of the Unión Sindical Obrera (USO), an IndustriALL Global Union affiliate in Colombia. Martha participated in IndustriALL’s regional gender project from 2017 to 2020 and became a mentor in the mentoring project implemented with LO-Norway. She spoke with IndustriALL about her trade union journey and her new leadership role within the union.
1) Becoming the first woman to join the USO’s national executive committee surely did not happen overnight. How did you prepare for this challenge, and what was the process leading up to your candidacy?
The process began well before 2022, when I was part of the team led by César Loza, who served as USO president until recently. Following his appointment to the board of directors of Colombia’s oil company, Ecopetrol, I assumed the position he vacated, as I had been democratically elected as his second in line.
Reaching a leadership position at this level required broad worker support and a formal vote. It involved 12 to 14 years of sustained training and organising work, including academic preparation, membership-building and the development of collective leadership. This was achieved through a democratic process of building knowledge and experience around trade union work.
2) What lessons, support or decisions were key along the way?
Training programmes provided by IndustriALL, the CUT and USO were essential, as was the openness of international actors such as the ILO and LO, which helped equip us with practical tools to strengthen our work. Equally important was the support of male allies who understood that women’s participation is a democratic necessity. Without that support, it is extremely difficult for women to reach leadership spaces.
One of the first to actively support this process was Edwin Palma, now Colombia’s Minister of Energy and a former USO president. He firmly believes that women’s participation in trade union leadership is a democratic imperative.
Without these allies, it is almost impossible to get there, since the system just seems designed to prevent women from participating. Women’s different paid and unpaid workloads make it very hard to engage and advance in the process; the help of other female colleagues and personal determination are definite assets.
3) From your perspective, what does women’s participation bring to national trade union decision-making spaces?
At USO, this work led to the negotiation of a collective agreement that included a gender chapter, something unprecedented at the time. This made it possible to establish a gender commission and encouraged other unions to consider similar provisions addressing issues such as gender-based violence and women’s participation within companies. There has also been progress in recruitment. Women’s participation in the industry increased from 21 per cent in 2021 to around 24–25 per cent in 2026. These gains were the result of sustained efforts to identify and open up spaces for greater women’s participation.
4) You have taken part in several IndustriALL training programmes on trade unionism, gender and leadership. How did these shape your work?
A crucial IndustriALL course I attended focused on trade union planning. Another important one addressed leadership recruitment and development. Without this knowledge, making progress as a woman trade unionist would have been far more difficult. Building leadership teams and supporting colleagues throughout the process is vital. Providing other women with the tools they need to advance is an essential part of sustainable trade union development.
5) You also became a mentor in IndustriALL’s mentoring project. What motivated that decision?
Mentoring creates a space to share experience, learn from the expectations of colleagues who are just beginning their journey, and contribute to building new organisational processes. It is a process of mutual learning, where both mentors and mentees exchange perspectives and strengthen collective capacity.
6) What message would you give to women who are active in unions but hesitant to take on leadership roles?
First, you need a genuine commitment to take on this responsibility. The obstacles are many and often significant. Second, it is essential to understand the industry, its data, its challenges and its dynamics. Analytical capacity is critical. Third, having the support of trusted colleagues and allies with experience makes a real difference. These three elements are fundamental.
7) What kinds of obstacles do women face in these spaces?
We live in a patriarchal society where women are often discouraged from entering academic, trade union and corporate leadership spaces. These are positions of power, and those who hold them frequently resist sharing it. Women who seek to enter these spaces often face resistance aimed at preserving existing power structures.
Care responsibilities also place an unequal burden on women, who must balance paid work, trade union responsibilities and unpaid domestic labour. In addition, Colombia has repeatedly been identified as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for trade unionists. This reality disproportionately affects women and discourages many from getting involved.
Taking on union leadership can also limit professional progression within companies, as trade union activists often face retaliation or career stagnation.
8) Given these challenges, what motivates you to continue as a trade union leader?
It requires deep personal conviction and commitment. The sacrifices are real, but so are the rewards. Trade unionism is a vocation rooted in service, solidarity and collective defence.
Successfully defending a worker in a disciplinary process and preventing an unjust dismissal brings a strong sense of purpose. Knowing that this work protects livelihoods and families provides lasting personal and professional satisfaction. That conviction is what makes the challenges worth facing.
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Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) blocked on 2 February from entering the occupied Palestinian territories
Duncan Luvuno, Cosatu Deputy President and National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) National Chairperson for Occupational Health and Safety, was part of the international trade union delegation blocked on 2 February from entering the occupied Palestinian territories, where unions had planned to meet Palestinian construction workers. The delegation included trade union leaders from South Africa, Spain, France and Belgium, alongside Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI).
Silencing and isolating Palestinian workers show how decisions about rebuilding are intended to proceed: without participation, without consent, and without accountability to those who will carry out the work. BWI rejects this approach.Workers cannot be treated as labour alone while being excluded as rights-holders.
Any future rebuilding of Palestine must be grounded in justice, land rights and dignity.
International
trade union solidarity is not optional.
Read our press release.
https://www.bwint.org/BwiNews/NewsDetails?newsId=1096
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Norman Mampane (Shopsteward Editor)
Congress of South African Trade Unions
110 Jorissen Cnr Simmonds Street, Braamfontein, 2017
P.O.Box 1019, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa
Tel: +27 11 339-4911 Direct line: 010 219-1348