Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin , 7 July 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
7 July 2026
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- Media Alert: COSATU Gauteng to Brief Media on the Unity of the Alliance & Campaign against Corruption
- Media Invite to the SAMWU National Day of Action
- South Africa
- Employment and Labour Minister Meth appoint the 6th commissioners of CEE to advice on equity in labour market
- Minister Parks Tau on Special Economic Zones Programme
- Minister Parks Tau on signing of MOUs with standards regulators as critical milestone in China-SA Zero Tariff Trade Agreement
- Home Affairs recruits 301 additional Immigration Officers
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
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What I am still learning, and why that matters
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics #ClassWar
Media Alert: COSATU Gauteng to Brief Media on the Unity of the Alliance & Campaign against Corruption
Zanele Sabela, Cosatu Spokesperson, 7 July 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in Gauteng invites members of the media to a briefing on Wednesday, 8 June 2026, to outline the outcomes of the Special Provincial Executive Committee meeting held on 7 July 2026, including the following:
· Unity of the Alliance
· Campaign against Corruption
· Impact of Corruption on the Cost of Living
Details of the media briefing are as follows:
Date: Wednesday, 8 July 2026
Time: 10am
Venue:
COSATU House, 110 Jorissen Street, Braamfontein
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the briefing.
Issued by COSATU Gauteng
For
RSVP and enquiries:
Zanele Sabela (Cosatu Spokesperson)
Mobile: 079 287 5788/077 600 6639
Email: zan...@cosatu.org.za
_______________________
Media Invite to the SAMWU National Day of Action
Papikie Mohale, SAMWU National Media Officer, 3 July 2026
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) invites members of the media to cover its National Day of Action, which will take place on 9 July 2026 in Tshwane.
The march is expected to be attended by tens of thousands of municipal and water sector workers from across all nine provinces, as SAMWU takes to the streets in defence of workers, collective bargaining and public services.
SAMWU members and workers will gather at the Old Putco Depot in Marabastad, Tshwane, from where they will march to the National Treasury offices to deliver a Memorandum of Demands addressed to National Treasury, COGTA, SALGA and the Department of Water and Sanitation.
The march will raise critical issues affecting workers in municipalities and the water sector, including the underfunding of local government, National Treasury interference, the implementation of collective agreements, the City of Johannesburg PFA, the Wage Curve, Business Units, non-payment of salaries and benefits, outsourcing, consultants, load reduction, water boards and the victimisation of workers and shop stewards.
Details of the march are as follows:
Date:
9 July 2026
Gathering Point: Old Putco Depot, Marabastad, Tshwane
Time: From 9am
Destination: National Treasury offices
Purpose: Delivery of Memorandum of Demands to National Treasury, COGTA, SALGA and the Department of Water and Sanitation
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the march by confirming attendance with Cde Papikie Mohale on 076 795 8670 or via email on pap...@samwu.org.za.
Issued by SAMWU Secretariat
Papikie Mohale
National Media Officer
076 795 8670
South Africa #ClassSolidarity
Employment
and Labour Minister Meth appoint the 6th commissioners of CEE to advice on equity in labour market
07 July 2026
Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth has announced the appointment of new members of the Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) to advice on EE issues in the labour market.
The 6th Commission for Employment Equity commissioners' term is effective from 1 July 2026. The new commissioners will serve for a period of five years on a part time basis.
The new commissioners are Chairperson Mr Meko Magida and the full complement of CEE members are: Ms Brenda Marilyn Modise (organised labour), Ms Tanya van Meelis (organised labour), Mr John Botha (organised business), Ms Nomthandazo Mavuso (organised business),
Ms Alina Thandiwe Mfulo (community constituency), Ms Laura Joyce Kganyago (community constituency), Dr Praveena Sukhraj- Ely (State) and Mr Kaemete Tsotetsi (State).
The 6th members of the CEE replace the 5th CEE members whose term ended on 30 June 2026. The outgoing members were: Chairperson Ms Nicole Deokiram, and included Ms Thembi Chagonda, Ms Zinzisa Mgolodela, Ms Dineo Mmako, Ms Steineke Jensma, Mr BKM Nhlapo, Mr
Gerald Twala and Ms Laura Kganyago
The functions of the CEE as outlined in Section 30 of the EE Act are to advise the Minister on Codes of good practice, regulations and policy and any other matter concerning this Act. The CEE may also make awards recognising achievements of employers in furthering
the purpose of the Act, including engaging in appropriate and well-researched norms and benchmarks for the setting of numerical goals in various sectors.
The CEE commissioners are appointed from the Nedlac constituencies as represented by Government, organised labour, organised business and community.
The Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) is a statutory body established in terms of section 28 of the Employment Equity Act (EEA).
For media inquiries, please contact:
Teboho Thejane
Departmental Spokesperson
082 697 0694/ teboho....@labour.gov.za
-ENDS-
Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour
__________________________
Minister
Parks Tau on Special Economic Zones Programme
06 Jul 2026
Minister Tau encouraged by findings of the World Bank Study on the SEZs
The Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Parks Tau has been encouraged by the findings of a comprehensive study conducted by the World Bank on the country’s Special Economic Zones Programme.
The study has established that South Africa has the infrastructure, legal framework, and institutional capacity to build a world-class SEZs programme.
The study draws on surveys from all 12 SEZs nationwide, interviews with provincial government representatives and SEZs businesses, administrative data from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), South African Revenue Service, National
Treasury, and international case studies from India, China, Poland, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
“As government we are encouraged by the outcomes of this study. It has confirmed the impressive progress that we have achieved in the roll-out of the programme, as well as the hugely positive impact that it has made on the economy of the country in general,
and the provinces where they are located in particular,” says Tau.
“The fact that a revenue of R14.8 billion has been generated by the SEZs that are operational, and more than 30 000 jobs have been created, speaks volumes of the capacity and potential of the programme to contribute immensely in the country’s economic growth,
transformation and industrialisation,” adds Tau.
He further stresses that the importance of the study lies in its findings and recommendations that the department will critically look into with the aim of implementing to expand the programme and increase its impact.
“The study has identified various areas of improvement and recommendations, which we need to thoroughly analyse and consider implementing in line with the Revised Special Economic Zones Implementation Model, which is part of our Spatial Industrial Development
Strategy,” says Tau.
Other recommendations include:
Establishing a formal five-year intervention framework for underperforming zones
Extending the 15% Corporate Income Tax rate to all SEZs
Designating private-sector industrial parks within all SEZs using the Dube TradePort model
Formalising municipal service-level agreements across the network
Accelerating build-to-let mixed-use complexes to attract SME tenants
Formalising the Special Economic Zones Fund with distinct infrastructure and top-structure pathways
“We have already designed various interventions that we have prioritised for this financial year, some of which are in line with the recommendations of the study. These are going to result in more SEZs being designated, more investments flowing into the SEZs,
more jobs being created, and more small businesses being created in and around the SEZs,” concludes Tau.
Media Enquiries:
Kaamil Alli – Ministerial Spokesperson
Mobile: +27 82 520 6813
WhatsApp: +27 82 520 6813
E-mail: KA...@thedtic.gov.za
Or
Bongani Lukhele – Director: Media Relations
Tel: (012) 394 1643
Mobile: 079 5083 457
WhatsApp: 074 2998 512
E-mail: BLuk...@thedtic.gov.za
Issued by Department of Trade, Industry and Competition
________________________
Minister
Parks Tau on signing of MOUs with standards regulators as critical milestone in China-SA Zero Tariff Trade Agreement
30 Jun 2026
The Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Parks Tau, says the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) dealing with regulatory compliance and standards is about improving the quality of trade, thus strengthening economic ties between South Africa
and the People’s Republic of China.
Together with China’s Vice Minister of State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), Mr SHU Wei, Tau led the signing ceremony of the MOUs, which are centred around the alignment of rules and standards to support the implementation of the Zero-Tariff Agreement.
The Framework Agreement on the Economic Partnership for Shared Development (CADEPA) was signed earlier this year in Beijing, granting qualifying South African goods exported to China the benefit of zero customs duties. The implementation of this agreement came
into effect last month, with South Africa being one of the African countries to benefit.
The MOUs were between the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the DTIC), China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), and accreditation and standards agencies from the two countries such as South Africa’s National Regulator for Compulsory
Specifications (NRCS), South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) and the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment.
Tau emphasised that the MOUs represent a technical commitment with practical consequences for exporters and consumers in both countries.
“South Africa’s position is clear; trade facilitation must not mean lowering standards. It must mean improving systems, reducing unnecessary duplication, and ensuring that technical requirements are applied in a way that supports both economic development and
public welfare. There is a difference between reducing unnecessary barriers and abandoning the integrity of our technical requirements. Every time a product crosses a border, it must demonstrate compliance,” he said.
He highlighted some priority sectors where these agreements matter the most. They include automotive components, new energy vehicles, agro-processing, renewable energy technologies and medical devices, among others.
“The practical work programme that flows from today’s commitments should focus on priority trade sectors where duplicate testing is creating unnecessary cost and delay; undertaking technical comparison work on applicable standards and conformity assessment
procedures; strengthening regulator-to-regulator and accreditation-body-to-accreditation-body engagement; and establishing a practical mechanism through which issues affecting the acceptance of accredited results can be raised, assessed and resolved,” he said.
Enquiries:
Kaamil Alli
Ministerial Spokesperson
Cell: +27 82 520 6813
WhatsApp: +27 82 520 6813
E-mail: KA...@thedtic.gov.za
Bongani Lukhele
Director: Media Relations
Tel: 012 394 1643
Cell: 079 508 3457
WhatsApp: 074 299 8512
E-mail: BLuk...@thedtic.gov.za
Issued by Department of Trade, Industry and Competition
________________________
Home
Affairs recruits 301 additional Immigration Officers
06
Jul 2026
The Department of Home Affairs is moving to strengthen immigration enforcement capacity by recruiting an additional 301 Immigration Officers across the country.
At present, the Department has only 868 Immigration Officers. This limited capacity is expected to support immigration enforcement across the entire country. Despite the severe resource constraints that the Department continues to face, reprioritisation work
has been done to enable the recruitment of this cohort of additional Immigration Officers. The increase from 868 to 1 169 officers will enhance enforcement capacity by 35%. This is being done in conjunction with other initiatives alongside National Treasury
to secure additional resources to further boost digital transformation and capacity-building initiatives.
The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, said the recruitment drive forms part of the Department's broader reforms to build a secure, digital and fit-for-purpose immigration system that serves the national interest.
The Minister said: “The Home Affairs @ home reforms are about building an immigration system that works from beginning to end. That means using technology like the Electronic Travel Authorisation to strengthen the enforcement of lawful entry into South Africa,
while also investing in the frontline officers who enforce our laws every day.”
Minister Schreiber concluded: “For too long, just 868 frontline Immigration Officers have been responsible for enforcing our immigration laws across the entire country. By appointing 301 additional Immigration Officers, we are now making one of the biggest
investments in immigration enforcement capacity in years, strengthening our ability to uphold the rule of law and protect the integrity of South Africa’s immigration system.”
Issued by Department of Home Affairs
International-Solidarity
Global Dialogue on AI Governance
Geneva, 6-7 July 2026
The Global Dialogue on AI Governance, organised by the United Nations, brought together 4000 participants from governments, international institutions, experts, business and civil society to debate on the governance frameworks needed to manage the risks created
by AI technologies. During the forum, the Preliminary Report of the UN Independent Scientific Panel on AI was presented.
The report and subsequent discussions recognised that while these technologies may create opportunities, their rapid and unchecked deployment also poses significant risks to workers, affecting both their jobs and working conditions, while potentially reinforcing
existing inequalities.
A labour delegation, including representatives of the ITUC and Education International, participated in the dialogue.
Trade unions have consistently stressed the need for effective governance frameworks to mitigate the negative risks that these technologies pose on workers’ jobs and working conditions, and ensure that the benefits are shared by all.
Luc Triangle, ITUC General Secretary stressed: ‘AI must be implemented in the interests of people. Technology must work for workers — not against them —and must support decent work. Any innovation must be accompanied by adequate regulation. And workers must
have the opportunity to shape the deployment of these technologies in the workplace, through social dialogue and collective bargaining.’
He added, ‘AI must benefit everyone, not only tech billionaires and corporate shareholders. Any eventual productivity gains from these technologies should be fairly shared with workers and society – for instance through higher wages, improvements to working
conditions and reductions in working hours.’
______________________________
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