Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 7 April 2026 #CosatuMayDay2026
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 April 2026
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- South African Communist Party Press Alert Commemoration of the 33rd anniversary of the assassination of Chris Hani
- Stakeholders and interested parties invited to make written and/or oral submissions on the Special Appropriation Bill [B3 – 2026].
- COSATU congratulates the 14 500 employees of SARS on their outstanding achievements
- South Africa
- COSATU Gauteng Statement on the Reshuffling of the Provincial Executive Council
- COSATU Statement on the Gauteng Provincial Government briefing on governance and service delivery
- South African Communist Party statement on the commemoration of Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- WFTU solidarity message with the strike in Cyprus
- Roxanne Brown on power, solidarity and a new era for women in the labour movement
- Teachers across Asia-Pacific call for urgent investment and stronger support for the profession
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
South African Communist Party Press Alert Commemoration of the 33rd anniversary of the assassination of Chris Hani
Mbulelo Mandlana, SACP Head of Media, Communications and Information, 7 April 2026
The South African Communist Party (SACP) invites the media to attend and cover the commemoration of the 33rd anniversary of the assassination of Chris Hani.
At the time of his assassination on 10 April 1993, Hani was the General Secretary of the SACP and a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress. He had led the joint SACP and ANC military wing, uMkhonto weSizwe with outstanding dedication as its Chief of Staff and in various capacities going back to the 1960s in the course of the struggle against apartheid, the struggle for liberation and complete social emancipation.
The commemoration will be held as follows:
1. Wreath laying at the grave site
Date: Wednesday 8 April 2026
Time: 10h00
Venue: Thomas Nkobi Memorial Park, Boksburg, Gauteng.
2. Main 33rd Anniversary Commemoration
Date: Friday 10 April 2026
Time: 10h00
Venue: Kwaggafontein Community Hall, Ephraim Mogale District next to Thembisile Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province
Speakers: SACP General Secretary, Solly Mapaila, will deliver the keynote address on behalf of the Party.
The event will also receive messages from the Hani family, Alliance components and the Young Communist League of South Africa.
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY,
FOUNDED IN 1921 AS THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA.
Media, Communications & Information Department | MCID
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Stakeholders and interested parties invited to make written and/or oral submissions on the Special Appropriation Bill [B3 – 2026].
The Select Committee on Appropriations invites stakeholders and interested parties to make written and/or oral submissions on the Special Appropriation Bill [B3 – 2026]. The Bill was introduced by the Minister of Finance on 25 February 2026. The Money Bills and Related Matters Act, No. 13 of 2018, requires Parliament to conduct public hearings and report on all Bills.
The closing date for written submissions, or to indicate your intention to make an oral presentation, is 14:00 on Friday, 24 April 2026. Public hearings on the Bill will be held virtually by the Select Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday, 28 April 2026 at 09:00.
Submissions must be sent to the Committee Secretariat: Mr Lubabalo Nodada at Lno...@parliament.gov.za or Ms Estelle Grunewald at egrun...@parliament.gov.za.
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COSATU congratulates the 14 500 employees of SARS on their outstanding achievements
Matthew Parks, COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, 02 April 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) congratulates the 14 500 employees of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) on their outstanding achievements, including surpassing R2 trillion in revenue collection and especially in exceeding 2024’s tax collections by 8.4% or R155 billion in taxes owed to the state.
The remarkable turnaround of SARS from being at the epicentre of the state capture project and systematically decapacitated, to once again becoming a centre of public sector excellence and ramping up the fight against tax evasion and customs fraud; confirms the state’s invaluable role in society. It shows that when the state is provided competent leadership, fills frontline vacancies and recruits critical skills, removes corrupt and criminal elements, and invests in its capacity and infrastructure; that government will deliver upon its mandates and provide the services and infrastructure necessary for society and the economy to thrive.
An efficient, effective and corruption free SARS is key to ensuring that the state can fulfill its constitutional and developmental mandates. The working class and the economy depend upon a state able to deliver quality education and healthcare, invest in critical infrastructure and stimulate inclusive economic growth, provide relief for the poor and the unemployed, amongst many other critical responsibilities to society. These require all South Africans, in particular the wealthy and businesses to pay their fair share.
The 8.4% improvement in tax collections validates COSATU’s campaign for SARS to be provided with the necessary support and resources to ramp up tax compliance and not to increase taxes upon the working class, in particular VAT and income. SARS’ consistent progress in improving tax compliance from 61% to 67% over the past few years under President Cyril Ramaphosa’s African National Congress led administrations has provided invaluable breathing space and additional resources for the state’s turnaround.
SARS must be tasked to raise tax compliance to 75% by 2029. This will generate sufficient funds to capacitate the state to provide quality public and municipal services, stimulate badly needed economic growth and jobs, and provide relief for the poor and the working class, including reducing the increasingly suffocating tax burden upon low- and middle-income workers.
This has become more urgent given the global economic turmoil from the war in the Middle East and the record fuel price hikes that threaten to grind the economy to a halt.
Whilst applauding the tireless efforts of SARS’s employees and leadership, we remain deeply worried about the dangerous rise in illicit goods, in particular alcohol and tobacco, and also customs fraud, especially for clothing, tyres, fuel and vehicle components. These threaten local jobs, businesses and value chains as well as the sin tax regime designed to protect society from unhealthy products, and tax revenue needed to fund public services.
It is urgent that SARS be given further funding and support to ramp up its fight against illicit goods and rampant customs fraud. This is not a battle that workers and the economy can afford to be lost.
COSATU thanks outgoing Commissioner Edward Kieswetter for his leadership during this particularly challenging time in SARS’ history. The Federation wishes him well in his next chapter in life.
Issued by COSATU
South Africa #ClassSolidarity
COSATU Gauteng Statement on the Reshuffling of the Provincial Executive Council
Louisah Modikwe, COSATU Gauteng Provincial Secretary, 2 April 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in Gauteng notes the recent reshuffling of the Gauteng Provincial Executive Council, including the inclusion of the EFF into the Government of Provincial Unity.
COSATU acknowledges that political stability within the provincial government is important for ensuring consistent governance and the effective delivery of services to the people of Gauteng. Any reconfiguration of the Executive Council must therefore be assessed on its ability to strengthen service delivery, accelerate economic transformation, and respond to the urgent needs of workers and the poor.
While we recognise the need to stabilise governance following recent political uncertainties, COSATU emphasises that the primary focus must remain on addressing the socio-economic challenges facing the province. These include high unemployment, deepening poverty, unreliable service delivery, and rising levels of crime.
The Federation will closely monitor the performance of the newly appointed Members of the Executive Council, particularly in critical departments such as Finance, Infrastructure Development, Health, and Economic Development. These departments play a central role in ensuring that public resources are used effectively, infrastructure is delivered efficiently, and economic opportunities are expanded for the working class.
COSATU Gauteng expects the reconfigured Executive Council to:
Accelerate job creation through industrialisation and infrastructure development programmes. Strengthen oversight and accountability in the use of public funds. Improve the delivery of basic services, especially water, housing, healthcare, and transport. Intensify the fight against corruption and maladministration. Prioritise worker-friendly policies and protect decent work.
The Federation further calls on the provincial government to ensure that this political realignment does not distract from urgent service delivery programmes or delay the implementation of key commitments made in the State of the Province Address.
COSATU remains committed to working with government, business, and community stakeholders to advance a developmental agenda that places the interests of workers and the poor at the centre of governance.
We will continue to engage the provincial government to ensure that the voice of workers is heard and that the outcomes of this reshuffling translate into tangible improvements in the lives of the people of Gauteng.
Issued by COSATU Gauteng
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COSATU Statement on the Gauteng Provincial Government briefing on governance and service delivery
Louisah Moepeng Modikwe, COSATU Gauteng Provincial Secretary, 2 April 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in Gauteng has noted the media briefing by the Gauteng Provincial Government outlining progress on governance and service delivery across the province.
COSATU notes the announcement by Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, regarding the development of the new Brixton reservoir and water tower aimed at addressing persistent water shortages in the City of Johannesburg.
This intervention forms part of a broader R760 million infrastructure programme, which includes the construction of a new reservoir, water tower, and pipeline upgrades to stabilize water supply in affected communities.
COSATU Gauteng welcomes this investment as a necessary step towards resolving the ongoing water crisis that has severely affected working-class communities, including areas such as Coronationville, Westbury, and surrounding parts of Johannesburg that have endured prolonged outages.
However, while these developments are encouraging, COSATU Gauteng remains concerned about the slow pace of implementation and repeated delays in bringing critical infrastructure online. Reports indicate that timelines for the Brixton water tower have previously not been met, further deepening public frustration.
The Federation emphasises that access to water is a fundamental human right and a basic service essential for the dignity, health, and economic survival of workers and their families. Ongoing disruptions not only inconvenience households but also place an additional burden on workers, small businesses, and public institutions.
COSATU welcomes the commitment to a people-centred budget, with 85% of expenditure directed towards social services such as health, education and social development. This reflects an understanding of the urgent need to cushion the working class and the poor against rising living costs, unemployment and inequality.
COSATU welcomes progress in housing delivery and the issuing of title deeds, which restore dignity and provide security to working-class families. However, the scale of the housing backlog demands a far more aggressive rollout. The Federation urges the provincial government to prioritise well-located housing close to economic opportunities and public transport to reverse apartheid spatial planning.
The handover of the Gautrain to the province is a significant milestone. However, COSATU reiterates that public transport must be affordable and accessible to workers. The current cost structure excludes the majority of commuters. Any future expansion or public-private partnership arrangements must prioritise affordability, local job creation and worker protections.
COSATU supports initiatives to combat hunger and poverty, including the establishment of the food distribution centre under the Fetsa Tlala programme. While this intervention provides immediate relief, it cannot replace the need for sustainable job creation and industrial development. Government must intensify efforts to grow the economy, support local industries and tackle unemployment, particularly among the youth.
COSATU Gauteng therefore calls for urgent acceleration of infrastructure rollout, including the full commissioning of the Brixton reservoir and related systems. Clear timelines and transparency from government and the City of Johannesburg on project completion and service restoration. Accountability for delays and failures in water infrastructure management.
The Federation will closely monitor the performance of the newly appointed Members of the Executive Council, particularly in critical departments such as Finance, Infrastructure Development, Health, and Economic Development. These departments play a central role in ensuring that public resources are used effectively, infrastructure is delivered efficiently, and economic opportunities are expanded for the working class.
COSATU Gauteng will continue to monitor developments closely and will not hesitate to mobilize workers and communities should government fail to deliver on its commitments.
Issued by: COSATU Gauteng
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South African Communist Party statement on the commemoration of Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu
Mbulelo Mandlana, SACP Head of Media, Communications and Information, 6 April 2026
The South African Communist Party (SACP) joins the multitudes of South Africans in commemorating the life of one of the most outstanding South African revolutionaries, Comrade Solomon Mahlangu.
We commemorate not the hanging of Solomon Mahlangu by the apartheid regime, but the triumph of his memory and legacy over the immoral actions of the minority racist regime and sustainability of his mission despite the aims of the oppressor. This 47th anniversary of the illegal and immoral ending of his young life by the illegitimate government of colonialists should serve as a clarion call for the renewal of our revolution and revitalisation of the revolutionary organisations that carry that revolution.
Solomon Mahlangu not only represents bravery in the face of adversity, but his life also reflects the strength and courage of youth. The life and conduct of Solomon Mahlangu communicate this key message: to be young is to be imaginative and aspirational.
To be young and incapable of transcendent imagination and devoid of revolutionary aspiration is to spend one’s youth unproductively. The ambitious tendency among the youth infuses a revolutionary spirit in the ranks of those that collectively fight for a new future, a different society defined by new norms and values. In the fold of a life of sacrifice of Solomon Mahlangu, we are called at this time to dedicate ourselves anew to the revolutionary goals that he lived for.
A life of revolutionary sacrifice and moral uprightness is the life that Solomon Mahlangu lived. It is a life worth celebrating and indeed emulating.
In paying tribute to Solomon Mahlangu, we call upon all activists, inside and outside the SACP and the Alliance, to use the example of Solomon Mahlangu as we work to build our movement and the nation. As we deepen our fight against the scourge of corruption in our society and in the state, in particular, the representation of Mahlangu’s example and values should serve as a moral beacon.
As a party of the working class, we reaffirm our commitment to the cause for which Solomon Mahlangu lived and died, whose motive force is the working class. With Solomon Mahlangu being a symbol of revolutionary substance of our struggle for change, we dedicate this anniversary to the revitalisation of the SACP as we move to local government elections.
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY,
FOUNDED IN 1921 AS THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA.
Media, Communications & Information Department | MCID
International-Solidarity
WFTU solidarity message with the strike in Cyprus
by WFTU HQ, 07 Apr 2026
The World Federation of Trade Unions, the militant voice of more than 105 million workers who live, work and struggle in 134 countries all over the world, expresses its undivided support and solidarity with the Turkish-Cypriot trade unions struggle for the Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA), which constitutes an effective mechanism that automatically increases the nominal wage based on inflation, maintaining the purchasing power of the wage workers.
After powerful mobilizations in several sectors in the Northern part of Cyprus with full participation across institutions, workplaces, and schools, the Trade Unions decided to continue the general strike in defense of COLA, which has now culminated in a broader social and political struggle.
The WFTU congratulates its affiliates for being once again relentlessly and militantly at the forefront of this important struggle. We are confident that with the unity and class-orientation of the workers, the strike will be successful and the just demands of the trade union movement will be met.
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Roxanne Brown on power, solidarity and a new era for women in the labour movement
2 April, 2026
One month into her historic presidency of the United Steelworkers, Roxanne Brown spoke to IndustriALL at the USW International Women’s Conference in Toronto. What she had to say was a message not just for the sisters in the room, but for the global movement.
“That moment wasn’t about me. It was about us.”
On 1 March 2026, Roxanne D. Brown became the 10th international president of the United Steelworkers (USW), the first woman, and the first Black woman, to lead one of North America’s most powerful unions. She is clear about what it means. Not a personal milestone. A collective one. A moment that captured, as she put it, “so many hopes, dreams, silent struggles and prayers” and belonged to every sister who had ever been told the top was not for her.
One month on, speaking to IndustriALL at the USW International Women’s Conference in Toronto, the weight of that moment was still landing. For retirees who said they never thought they would live to see it. For young women still working out whether there is a place for them at the top. For Roxanne Brown herself, still occasionally catching herself saying “vice president” out of habit.
“Sisters can do anything. There is no job, no role, no thing that is insurmountable for our sisters all around the globe.”
Built for this moment
Roxanne Brown did not arrive at the presidency by accident. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, and raised in White Plains, New York, she came to the labour movement through lived experience, her mother and aunt worked union jobs that allowed them to buy homes and break into the middle class. That transformation shaped everything that followed.
She joined the USW 27 years ago and spent nearly three decades fighting for workers on health care, trade, manufacturing and workplace safety. Throughout it all, she held to one conviction: the workers themselves are the most powerful thing in any room.
Know who you are
Standing before a room packed with union sisters, Roxanne Brown delivered the lesson she has shared with her own daughter and that she now carries to women across the movement.
“At some point, the world is going to try to tell you who they think you are. So it’s really important that you know who you are. So that when that moment comes, you stand in the power of the knowledge of who you are.”
She speaks from experience. In the years before her election, she heard it herself, the doubts, the limitations others tried to place on her. She had already decided who she was.
For Roxanne Brown, knowing who you are is not a passive thing. It means knowing what makes you powerful, and being intentional about protecting that knowledge. She connects with people through conversation, through listening, through the stories she gathers and carries into her work.
She speaks openly about imposter syndrome, naming it not as a personal failure but as something structural, something women navigate constantly in spaces not built for them.
“Even when you do know who you are, that confidence shakes a little bit, and the imposter syndrome steps back in,” she said. “Knowing who you are from the front end and taking the steps to remind yourself, even in small ways, that is really important.”
Pointing to her eight-year-old daughter, who was in the room at the conference. She has more confidence at her age than Roxanne Brown ever did at the same stage. Why? Because she has grown up surrounded by strong women, in her family and in her union family, who have shown her what power looks like in practice.
“That’s what this is about,” Roxanne Brown said. “Showing what is possible.”
Building women’s leadership: the Women of Steel model
Roxanne Brown’s presidency did not emerge from nowhere. It was prepared over decades by a powerful model for women’s leadership development in the global trade union movement.
Women of Steel, the USW’s dedicated programme for women’s organizing and leadership, predates female representation on the union’s executive board. When it was founded, every leader at the top of the USW was a man. The first woman would not join the executive board until 2008. Yet former international president Leo Gerard made a commitment, to the programme, to the sisters in the union, to the idea that women needed a structure where they could learn, be trained and understand how to exercise power.
The results are clear. In 2008, one woman on the executive board. Today, three. The majority of USW department heads are women. And for the first time in the union’s history, the international president is a woman.
“If we didn’t have that programme, I don’t know that we would have had a system to talk to sisters about their power,” Roxanne Brown said. “About what they bring into the union and how that power serves the union.”
Under the leadership of Randie Pearson, director of Women of Steel, the programme has been fully revamped for 2026. The training, the language, the issues addressed, all updated to reflect what women need today. That includes explicit recognition of domestic violence as a union issue, something sisters were once uncertain the union would even care about.
“There were things sisters were dealing with back then they didn’t even know the union would care about,” Roxanne Brown said. “And that is something that is embedded within the programme we have today.”
For affiliates around the world who are at the beginning of this journey, Roxanne Brown’s message is direct: it starts with leadership. The commitment has to come from the top. And the programme has to be built to last, not just for the sisters who are there today, but for the ones still finding their way.
“This is the beginning,”
she said.
“And the goal is to make sure that other sisters see what’s possible. Because we have more coming.”
Global solidarity in a moment of pressure
As IndustriALL Global Union’s regional vice president for North America, Roxanne Brown brings the weight of USW members to a global coalition of workers across 130 countries.
At a moment when U.S. trade policy, attacks on workers’ rights and the rollback of workplace protections are sending shockwaves through labour markets worldwide, that connection has rarely mattered more.
“When the United States sneezes, the world catches a cold,” she said. “The workers of the United States are not the government. We too are feeling the pain and the pressure, and we rely on the solidarity of our union family all around the world.”
She is equally direct about the threat at home. The current political environment, the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion protections, the scaling back of workplace safety regulations, the chaos of tariff policy that has upended supply chains globally, is not just political noise. It is material harm to workers.
“In the last year, so many protections for workers in safety and health have been scaled back,” she told the conference. “We may not see the immediate impacts of these cuts. But we will see them.”
Her response to those trying to make workers forget their power is fierce and unambiguous. Workers built these economies. No one else can go into the mines, the smelters, the pulp and paper facilities and do what union members do every day. That, she insists, is where the power actually lies.
“We outnumber them. We provide the power. And that is something we need to remember in this moment.”
She describes IndustriALL as exactly the platform the movement needs right now. A space to bring that solidarity together, to be honest about what this moment demands, and to remind workers everywhere that they are not fighting alone.
“The only way through this period is with us knowing that we’re not in this fight alone,” she said. “That the workers of the world stand with us.”
“Somebody say new era”
Roxanne Brown addresses delegates at the opening plenary of the USW Women of Steel conference in Toronto, March 2026.
Before she left the stage in Toronto, Roxanne Brown looked out at the room, more than half of whom were attending a Women of Steel conference for the first time, and named what she saw.
“That’s leadership,” she said. “Sisters who raise their hands, wanting to come, wanting to get educated, get some additional tools for their toolbox. That is the kind of leadership we expect as a union.”
She spoke about the sister who told her the night before that she had been nominated to run for local president and that seeing Roxanne Brown made her know she could do it. She spoke about the young woman who said she was ready to get more involved because she had seen not one but three sisters on the International Executive Board.
That moment on 1 March 2026, she said, was never just about her.
“It captured so many hopes. Dreams. Silent struggles. Prayers. And so much more. And we did it all together. And we will continue to do this together.”
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Teachers across Asia-Pacific call for urgent investment and stronger support for the profession
Standards and working conditions Leading the profession Go public! Fund education, 7 April 2026
Around 120 teachers, teacher educators, academics, and education leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region convened in Bangkok from 30 March to 2 April 2026 for the Education International (EI) and UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Teachers. Participants committed to working collectively to elevate, support, and invest in the teaching profession.
Representatives of teacher unions and educators from South Asia, Southeast Asia, North Asia, and the Pacific emphasised the urgent need for governments to take decisive action to strengthen the profession. They called for sustained public investment in education, competitive salaries, the guarantee of decent work, job security and professional dignity for teachers, and the institutionalization of social dialogue as a cornerstone of effective education policy. Participants stressed that every learner must have access to a qualified, supported teacher in every classroom.
Opening the forum, Anand Singh, Regional Director of Education International Asia-Pacific, underlined the central role of teachers in achieving global education goals. He stated, “Teachers’ conditions are central to attaining SDG 4. Improving education outcomes is impossible without improving teachers’ conditions. Governments must ensure fair and competitive salaries, job security, safe and supportive working environments, professional autonomy, and social protection. These are not benefits — they are preconditions for quality education.”
In her opening address, Soohyun Kim, Regional Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, highlighted the growing teacher shortage across the region. She reaffirmed that teachers are at the heart of education systems and called for strengthened investment in the profession to ensure that every child has access to a qualified teacher.
Throughout the forum, teacher leaders shared regional experiences and identified key priorities for advancing the teaching profession. These included strengthening pre-service teacher education, ensuring equitable and inclusive policies, improving working conditions, and accelerating progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG Target 4.c on teachers.
Discussions also addressed emerging and systemic challenges shaping education systems. Participants examined the impact of artificial intelligence and digitalisation, the importance of continuous professional development, the need for increased education financing, and the role of education in promoting peace, human rights, inclusion, and equality.
The forum underscored that improvements in teacher policies and education funding are essential to ensuring high-quality teacher preparation and ongoing professional development. Participants also highlighted the importance of equipping teachers with the capacity to foster values of peace, inclusion, and equality in classrooms.
On the role of technology, participants agreed that artificial intelligence must be developed and implemented in consultation with teachers. They stressed that teachers must remain at the centre of education processes, with technology serving to support - not replace - the teaching profession.
The forum concluded with a shared commitment to translate global and regional commitments into concrete national actions, ensuring that investment in teachers becomes a priority for governments across the Asia-Pacific region.
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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