Taking COSATU Today Forward, 15 April 2026 #CosatuMayDay2026
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY COSATU Call Center Contacts: 010 002 2590 #COSATU National May Day will be celebrated at Polokwane, Limpopo on May 1 #ClassWar #Cosatu40 #SACTU70 #ClassStruggle “Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism” #Back2Basics #JoinCOSATUNow #ClassConsciousness |
Taking COSATU Today Forward
‘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
15 April 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!
- SAMATU Important reminder: Mandatory reporting of underage pregnancies
- Media accreditation for COSATU May Day celebrations officially open
- South Africa
- COSATU horrified by murder of Emfuleni whistleblower
- COSATU Mpumalanga supports NUM march against Eskom unbundling and privatisation
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- IEA calls on energy workers, unions and industry to shape global jobs report
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
SAMATU Important reminder: Mandatory reporting of underage pregnancies
Published on April 13, 2026
Dear
Member
We wish to bring the attached circular issued by the Department of Health to your attention.
This circular reminds healthcare professionals of their responsibility to report pregnancies in girls younger than the age of 16 years. Such pregnancies are considered statutory rape, and in line with Section 110 of the Children’s Act (Act 38 of 2005), healthcare
professionals who become aware of such pregnancies are mandated to report them as suspected abuse.
Failure to report such cases constitute an offense punishable by imprisonment for a duration of up to five years. Thus, we urge members to adhere to the laws regarding such cases, not only for the welfare of the affected individuals, but also to uphold the
integrity of our profession.
https://www.samatu.org.za/documents/Circular.pdf
Issued by: SAMATU
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Media accreditation for COSATU May Day celebrations officially open
Zanele Sabela, COSATU Spokesperson, 08 April 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has officially opened media accreditation applications for Workers’ Day celebrations on 1 May 2026. The Federation will continue with its tradition of hosting celebrations across the country, with the national rally to be held at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
The President of COSATU, Zingiswa Losi will deliver the keynote address, with messages of support from leaders of Alliance Partners: the African National Congress (ANC), South African Communist Party (SACP) and South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO).
COSATU National Office bearers will lead provincial commemorations, alongside leaders of affiliated trade unions and members of the Federation’s Central Executive Committee (CEC).
Applications to cover the national rally may be submitted to mam...@cosatu.org.za or non...@cosatu.org.za.
Alternatively, an application form can be completed via this link:
Media accreditation for COSATU May Day celebrations officially open – Fill out form
Applications to cover provincial rallies can be sent to the following contacts:
1. Western Cape- Mbekweni Sport Stadium (Paarl) at 10:00
Malvern de Bruyn 060 977 9027 or Cleopatra Kakaza 072 312 6822
2. Gauteng - Tsakane Stadium (Brakpan) at 10:00
Louisa Modikwe 082 297 2659 or Itumeleng Moloantoa 071 873 5238
3. Free State- Bultfontein Stadium (Bultfontein) at 10:00
Tiisetso Mahlatsi on 077 607 3012 or Mongezi Mbelwane on 072 308 7658
4. KwaZulu Natal Curries Fountain Stadium (Durban) at 10:00
Edwin Mkhize 082 339 7756 or Khaliphile Cotoza 082 339 5760
5. Mpumalanga- Kamagugu Stadium (Mbombela) at 10:00
Thabo Mokoena 082 799 5699 or James Mahlabane 064 753 9055
6. Northern Cape- Open Air Arena (Galeshewe) at 10:00
Thandi Makapela 079 481 9077
7. North West- Olympia Stadium (Rustenburg) at 10:00
Kabelo Kgoro 067 410 4696
8. Eastern Cape - Nangoa Jebe Hall – Gqeberha, Orient Theatre (kuGompo) – Buffalo City, Tobi Kula Indoor Sports Centre (Komani) and Lusikisiki College Great Hall at 10:00
Mkhawuleli Maleki 082 339 5482
Issued by COSATU
Zanele Sabela (COSATU Spokesperson)
Mobile: 079 287 5788 / 077 600 6639
Email: zan...@cosatu.org.za
South Africa #ClassSolidarity
COSATU horrified by murder of Emfuleni whistleblower
Zanele Sabela, COSATU Spokesperson, 14 April 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is horrified following confirmation that the brutal murder of a 40-year-old woman in Emfuleni was related to her whistleblowing activities.
A video of the horrific murder of Martha Mani Rantsofu sent shockwaves through social media when it was circulated at the weekend.
Many speculated that her assassination was likely linked to her work at the Emfuleni Municipality in the finance department. However, the municipality through its spokesperson denied that she was a whistleblower and called for patience while police investigate.
It has subsequently come to light that Rantsofu had uncovered a corrupt scheme where workers were wiping off household and company municipal account balances in exchange for bribes. In some cases, business accounts were overbilled so the culprits could solicit more bribes from the business owners.
Rantsofu is also reported to have noted that some vehicles were missing from a newly acquired fleet. She had also opened a case of corruption with the Hawks against her colleagues who were implicated in the scheme she uncovered.
It is clear from the video footage that the individuals siphoning off money from the municipality are willing and ready to kill anyone who stands in their way. COSATU conveys its deepest condolences to her family, particularly her daughter who is in matric. We wish them strength at this difficult time.
The Federation calls on law enforcement agencies to do everything in their power to find the individuals responsible for the heinous murder of Rantsofu, arrest, prosecute and sentence them to the maximum period permissible. Their assets should also be seized and sold to recover the monies stolen from the municipality.
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Mmamoloko Kubayi, released the Protected Disclosures Bill for public comment last week.
The Bill tightens protections for workers from victimisation at the workplace, as well as protections for other members of the public, who blow the whistle against corruption, state capture and other criminal activities. It is a real tragedy it could not protect Rantsofu.
Issued by COSATU
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COSATU Mpumalanga supports NUM march against Eskom unbundling and privatisation
Thabo Mokoena, COSATU Mpumalanga Provincial Secretary, 13 April 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in Mpumalanga fully supports the upcoming march led by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in the Highveld Region against the unbundling and creeping privatisation of Eskom, particularly the establishment of the National Transmission Company (NTC).
The
march will take place as follows:
Date: 17 April 2026
Time: 9 am
Assembly Point: Broadway Inn (next to Downtown Spar), Witbank
March Destination: Eskom Park, Witbank
COSATU views the unbundling of Eskom, and specifically the establishment of the NTC, as a direct threat to South Africa’s economic sovereignty, energy security, and the future of workers. This process poses severe risks to the country’s mining, manufacturing, and broader industrial economy—sectors that are the backbone of job creation and economic growth.
The fragmentation of Eskom opens the door to profit-driven interests at the expense of developmental objectives. It risks escalating electricity costs, undermining coordinated planning, and weakening the state’s ability to ensure reliable and affordable energy for all. Ultimately, it is the working class and the poor who will bear the brunt of these decisions.
We reject any attempt to commodify a strategic national asset such as electricity transmission. Energy must remain a public good, not a profit-making scheme for private entities. Run privately, the NTC will undermine Eskom’s ability to cross-subsidise and sustain equitable access to electricity, particularly for rural and working-class communities.
COSATU stands shoulder to shoulder with NUM in defence of workers, jobs, and the economy. We call on all our Affiliates, progressive formations, and the broader working class to unite and support this important march. This is not just a NUM struggle—it is a struggle for the future of South Africa’s economy and the protection of its people.
Let us rise in unity to defend our public institutions, protect jobs, and reject policies that deepen inequality and economic exclusion.
Issued by COSATU Mpumalanga
International-Solidarity
IEA calls on energy workers, unions and industry to shape global jobs report
14 April, 2026
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has launched a new set of surveys on employment and skills in the energy sector, and is calling on workers, trade unions, employers, educators and policymakers to respond before the 15 May 2026 deadline.
The results will feed into the World Energy Employment 2026 report, an annual study that tracks the global energy workforce and shapes recommendations read by governments and employers worldwide.
Why your response matters
Last year’s World Energy Employment 2025 report drew on responses from more than 700 energy firms, trade unions and educators across the IEA’s annual Energy Employment Survey. The findings painted a clear picture of a sector under pressure.
The energy sector is growing fast. In 2024, it employed 76 million people worldwide, up more than 5 million since 2019 and created jobs at nearly double the rate of the wider economy.
But that growth is running into a serious obstacle: an increasing shortage of skilled workers. In a separate IEA survey of over 400 energy companies in 2025, around 60 per cent reported hiring difficulties due to skills and labour shortages. Applied technical roles like electricians, grid line workers, solar PV installersand welders and pipefitters are the hardest to fill, accounting for more than half of the total energy workforce yet facing the highest shortages.
The IEA’s Labour Employment Survey asked workers and their representatives directly what makes a job worth taking. The answers were clear: fair pay (90 per cent of respondents), employment security (73 per cent) and a safe working environment (71 per cent). Yet only 35 per cent of workers surveyed classified clean energy jobs as quality jobs with both good working conditions and good pay, a gap that unions and employers must urgently address.
The workforce is also ageing. In advanced economies, there are 2.4 workers within ten years of retirement for every worker under the age of 25. In nuclear and grid roles specifically, that ratio rises to 1.7 and 1.4 respectively. Between now and 2035, two out of every three new hires will be needed simply to replace retiring workers.
Closing the skills gap will require urgent and coordinated action. The IEA estimates that the number of new graduates entering the energy sector would need to rise by around 40 per cent globally by 2030, at a cost of roughly US$2.6 billion per year, less than 0.1 per cent of global public education spending.
These are the issues the 2026 surveys are designed to address. The more responses the IEA receives, the stronger the evidence base, and the stronger the case for policies that put workers at the centre of the energy transition.
“The energy transition is reshaping millions of jobs around the world. For that transition to be just, workers and unions must be at the table, not only when decisions are made, but when the evidence is gathered. I encourage everyone in the energy sector to take a few minutes to respond to this survey and make their voice count,”
said Diana Junquera Curiel, director of industrial policy, IndustriALL Global Union
Which survey is for me?
The IEA has launched four surveys, each targeting a different audience. Find yours below and share the links widely with your networks.
Workers and trade union representatives
English: https://eu.surveymonkey.com/r/labour
French: https://eu.surveymonkey.com/r/LabourFR
Spanish: https://eu.surveymonkey.com/r/LabourES
For shop stewards, work council representatives, national trade union officers and workers in the energy sector.
Policymakers
English: https://eu.surveymonkey.com/r/policymakers
French: https://eu.surveymonkey.com/r/PolicyFR
Spanish: https://eu.surveymonkey.com/r/PolicymakersES
For public institutions involved in energy, labour, skills or education policy, including ministries, national skills agencies and other governmental bodies.
Educators
English: https://eu.surveymonkey.com/r/educators
French: https://eu.surveymonkey.com/r/EducatorsFR
Spanish: https://eu.surveymonkey.com/r/EducatorsES
For universities, TVET providers, in-house trainers in energy companies, NGOs and trade unions who deliver training or vocational education.
Energy industry (English only)
English: https://eu.surveymonkey.com/r/industry
For energy companies, supply chain firms and those with responsibility for hiring and workforce planning.
Share your best practice
In addition to the surveys, the IEA is collecting examples of policies, initiatives and case studies through its new Employment and Skills Policy and Case Study Tracker. If your organization has developed a programme worth sharing, submit it here, it could be featured in the World Energy Employment 2026 report.
Policy and Case Study Tracker: Submit here
All surveys close on 15 May 2026. Please share these links widely with your union networks, colleagues and contacts in the sector. Every response strengthens the evidence for a just, people-centred energy transition.
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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