Taking COSATU Today Forward, 9 February 2026
Norman Mampane
|
COSATU TODAY COSATU Call Center Contacts: 010 002 2590 #HandsOffVenezuela #HandsOffCuba #Back2SchoolCampaign continues… #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
9 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!
- 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 SONA Expectations Statement
- COSATU notes with caution the signing of the Framework Agreement on Economic Partnership with China
- COSATU Gauteng statement on the ongoing water crisis in the province
- Committee welcomes signing of Instrument of Accession of South Africa to the Afreximbank
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- UAW-Volkswagen deal marks historic breakthrough
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
COSATU Gauteng welcomes R2 Billion Vaal Malt Investment as a boost for job creation and industrial development
Louisah Modikwe, COSATU Gauteng Provincial Secretary, 06 February 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Gauteng welcomes the announcement of the R2 billion investment in the new Soufflet Malt facility located in Midvaal, Sedibeng. We recognise the potential that this strategic industrial investment has to support local value chains, strengthen our agricultural sector, and create meaningful work opportunities for Gauteng residents.
The investment, which will see a state-of-the-art malting plant built next to Heineken Beverages’ Sedibeng Brewery, signals confidence in our economy and in the labour absorbing potential for Gauteng residents. The facility is expected to produce about 100 000 tonnes of malt annually, source barley from South African farmers, and support jobs across agriculture, logistics, construction and manufacturing.
COSATU Gauteng is particularly encouraged by the direct and indirect job creation associated with this project. With over 300 jobs expected during construction and additional permanent posts once operational, this investment can contribute to reducing unemployment — especially among the youth and workers who have historically been marginalised.
However, we emphasise that job creation must go hand-in-hand with decent work, fair wages, strong worker protections, and respect for collective bargaining. COSATU will be monitoring this project closely to ensure that labour rights are upheld and that the jobs created meet the standards that South African working people deserve. We call on the company, contractors, government and labour to engage social dialogue as the project progresses.
We also welcome the local sourcing of agricultural inputs from barley farmers, including emerging farmers, which can help support rural economies and broaden inclusive participation in agro-processing value chains.
COSATU Gauteng will continue to engage with all stakeholders including organised labour, community representatives, and government to ensure that this investment maximises benefits for workers, their families and the broader province.
Ultimately, such investments must prioritise people, creating stable livelihoods, strengthening local industry, and promoting an economy that works for all.
Issued by COSATU Gauteng
_________________________
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
_____________________
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
South Africa #ClassSolidarity
COSATU SONA Expectations Statement
Matthew Parks, COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, 07 February 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), alongside millions of struggling workers, has high expectations for the State of the Nation Address (SONA) to be delivered at Parliament on 12 February by President Cyril Ramaphosa. It is fundamental that government responds decisively to the cries and hopes of the working class and society in general.
SONA and government’s plans for the year must be anchored upon tackling our dangerously high unemployment rate of 42.4% and sluggish 1% economic growth, entrenched levels of poverty and inequality, and endemic crime and corruption.
COSATU welcomes the massive progress achieved by the African National Congress led government, Eskom and municipal workers in overcoming the crisis of loadshedding. It is critical that further support be given towards reducing the increasingly unaffordable price of electricity.
Fundamental to making electricity affordable is for all consumers to be moved to prepaid electricity billing as well as decisively dealing with the R100 billion municipal debt, corruption and other acts of criminality, wasteful expenditure and enabling Eskom to enter the renewable energy space.
Positive turnarounds being achieved at Transnet and Metro Rail must be accelerated, including helping Transnet reduce its debt burden, expediting infrastructure investments and putting in place tight security to protect commuters and property. Efficient rails and ports are key to thousands of mining, manufacturing and agricultural jobs as well as to providing 10 million urban commuters cheap and fast means to get to work.
Decisive turnaround plans need to be actioned for struggling State-Owned Enterprises, in particular Denel, the South African Broadcasting Corporation, Post Office and Postbank which continue to struggle under incompetent and weak management.
Government needs to close the chapter of failed neo-liberal austerity policies and budgets, and provide frontline public services with the funds, personnel and infrastructure they require to fulfill their constitutional obligations and developmental mandates. The remarkable turnaround at the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and South African Airways confirms that public institutions with competent management, vacancies filled, critical skills recruited, corrupt elements removed, and modern infrastructure; will deliver the public services that the working class and the economy depend upon and generate the tax revenues the state requires to fund them. Particular attention must be paid to defending and rolling out the National Health Insurance as the pathway to universal healthcare.
The deteriorating state of many municipalities must ring alarm bells and be met with decisive action, in particular to remove corrupt leaders, restore municipal services and ensure that workers’ salaries and third-party deductions are paid. Interventions must be extended to all struggling and dysfunctional municipalities and the new municipal funding model expedited. Eskom, Sanral and the Department of Water and Sanitation must be brought in to ensure the delivery of essential services and infrastructure, and the capacitation of dysfunctional municipalities.
South Africa can no longer afford to treat criminals with kid gloves nor to allow violent crimes to become the norm, especially in working class communities. An aggressive Marshall Plan led by President Ramaphosa must be our priority. Our law enforcement organs, in particular the South African Police Service, National Prosecuting Authority and the Judiciary need strong leadership, the filling of critical vacancies and recruitment of specialised skills, removal of corrupt and criminal elements, and massive investments in infrastructure capacity from working vehicles to state of the art IT, communications and forensic databases. To win this war, the same decisive leadership, mobilisation of resources and collective ownership by society as was done to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic, is an absolute necessity.
A bold stimulus package coordinating resources from the Fiscus, Developmental Finance Institutions and private banks and investment funds is long overdue to make financing available at the pace and scale needed for industrialisation, export sectors and SMMEs; to deliver quality infrastructure and create the millions of decent jobs needed. Tax incentives and rebates should be deployed to boost local procurement. Relief packages for workers, businesses and sectors affected by global trade turmoil and other challenges, including fixing the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s Temporary Employment Relief Scheme must be put in place.
Whilst the obstacles hindering economic growth are tackled, relief for the poor and unemployed must be enhanced, in particular raising the SRD Grant to the Food Poverty Line and expanding the Presidential Employment Stimulus to one million young people by 1 April and 2 million by 1 November 2026. Other public employment programmes must be overhauled to ensure compliance with the National Minimum Wage and that they deliver the skills, experience and confidence needed for their participants to find permanent decent work or become entrepreneurs.
We expect government to work with social partners on a plan to overhaul the Unemployment Insurance and Compensation of Occupational Injuries and Diseases Funds as well as to ensure that the CCMA has the resources it requires to defend workers’ hard-won rights. We need to continue to ramp up inspections of workplaces notorious for undermining labour laws and ensure we employ the 20 000 new labour inspectors.
SARS has been one of this administration’s success stories by improving tax compliance from 61% to 67%. It needs to be given the resources to raise tax compliance to 75% over the next three years, thus generating an additional R200 billion in revenue owed to the state and enabling the state to fulfill its developmental mandates. SARS must also be tasked to conduct lifestyle audits of high wealth individuals, including public representatives and senior management of the state and SOEs.
We applaud the important green shoots we have secured as we emerge from the chapter of state capture and corruption, but we cannot afford to rest on our laurels or continue to normalise anemic 1% economic growth or the ticking time bomb of 42.4% unemployment.
Government needs to act decisively and deliver on these key issues if we are to reach the 3% plus economic growth necessary to see unemployment fall and hope arise. The state must be seen to act decisively against those who break the law, in particular stealing public funds.
Key to winning these existential battles, is building the capacity of the state. There are no short cuts in this journey, nor is the patience of the working class and society limitless.
Issued by COSATU
_________________________
COSATU notes with caution the signing of the Framework Agreement on Economic Partnership with China
Matthew Parks, COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, 06 February 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions notes with caution the signing of the Framework Agreement on Economic Partnership for Shared Prosperity (CAEPA) with the People’s Republic of China.
Whilst the Federation fully supports the African National Congress led government and in particular the Departments of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) as well as Agriculture’s determined efforts to expand trade opportunities for South African goods, we must equally ensure at all times that the necessary safeguards are put in place in to protect South African jobs, businesses and value chains.
Expanding trade and export opportunities as well as boosting investment is fundamental if we are to push the economy which has been stumbling along at 1% growth for the past two decades and saddled with 42.4% unemployment to the 3% growth rate needed to see jobs being created.
We appreciate that CAEPA provides a framework for talks about which products can be earmarked for tariff free access between the Chinese and South African economies. We welcome reassurances by Minister Parks Tau that sectors and products that would be at an unfair competitive disadvantage to Chinese goods, will not be part of the final agreement and that all goods and sectors to be identified will be done through detailed consultation with Business and Labour at Nedlac. This is critical to ensuring that we avoid past mistakes when protections were prematurely lifted for fragile industries leading to a bloodbath of South African jobs.
We are deeply concerned by the March 2026 deadline for the conclusion of the Early Harvest Agreement as we do not believe that this will be sufficient time to conclude engagements between government, business and labour on which products should be identified as well as to put in place the necessary safeguards to prevent the dumping of illicit goods. We will continue to engage DTIC to ensure that these processes are managed tightly and that local jobs, goods, businesses and value chains receive the required protections.
It is critical that the 2026/27 Budget due to be tabled at Parliament on 25 February provides substantial additional resources to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) to boost its capacity to enforce full compliance with customs duties by all importers. Imports from China have repeatedly seen high levels of under invoicing, fraud and corruption.
These have threatened local jobs and industries.
COSATU will continue to work closely with Treasury, DTIC and SARS to ensure this happens.
Issued by COSATU
____________________
COSATU Gauteng statement on the ongoing water crisis in the province
Louisah Modikwe, COSATU Gauteng Provincial Secretary, 06 February 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in Gauteng expresses deep concern over the ongoing water outage in the Gauteng province, where some residents have gone nearly three weeks without running water. This situation has made life unbearable for working-class families and the poor.
Access to clean water is a basic human right. The continued failure to provide water has severely affected daily life in the community. Families are struggling to cook, clean, and maintain proper hygiene. Children are among the hardest hit, with some missing school because they cannot bathe or because households are spending hours searching for water instead of preparing learners for school.
Working-class parents, many of whom already face unemployment or low wages, are forced to spend what little money they have on buying water or travelling long distances to collect it. This places an unfair financial burden on households and deepens poverty and inequality.
The lack of water also poses serious health risks. Poor sanitation can lead to the spread of diseases, especially among children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems. No community should be exposed to such dangers due to service delivery failures.
COSATU calls on the City of Johannesburg and all relevant authorities to urgently resolve the water outage in Gauteng. Emergency water tankers must be provided consistently and fairly while permanent solutions are implemented. Clear communication with residents is also critical so communities know what is being done and when services will be restored.
We stand in solidarity with the Gauteng province and reaffirm that service delivery failures always hit the working class the hardest. Government must act decisively to protect the dignity, health, and future of our communities.
Issued by COSATU Gauteng
_____________________
Committee
welcomes signing of Instrument of Accession of South Africa to the Afreximbank
Parliament, Wednesday, 4 February 2026
The Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition welcomes the signing of the Instrument of Accession of South Africa to become a full sovereign member (Class A shareholder) of the African Export-Import Bank’s (AFREXIMBANK).
South Africa’s full membership in AFREXIMBANK marks an important moment for the country’s economic future and its trade with Africa through the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
The signing of the Instrument of Accession by President Cyril Ramaphosa and AFREXIMBANK’s president, Dr George Elombi, will allow South Africa to leverage the Bank’s stronger investment grade rating and Preferred Creditor Status. This offers more protection than standard commercial debt. It enables more competitive financing and risk coverage for South African exporters, state-owned enterprises and private companies.
The accession process followed legal and constitutional steps which included Cabinet endorsement and parliamentary approval in terms of section 231(2) of the Constitution.
The committee is encouraged by the Bank’s US$11 billion financing commitment to South Africa that is at the centre of its strategic partnership with the AFREXIMBANK. The funding has the potential to directly address some of the country’s most pressing economic challenges and open new opportunities for growth and trade.
The US$11 billion commitment includes an US$8 billion country programme focused on energy, mineral processing and infrastructure. The remaining US$3 billion is for an inclusive financing programme aimed at supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and economic transformation.
Chairperson of the committee, Mr Mzwandile Masina said, “This balance between large-scale industrial investment and inclusive growth is important for South Africa”.
The committee welcomes the accession, as it would consolidate South Africa’s position as a strategic industrial and investment hub of the continent and facilitate trade under the AfCFTA. Due to its advanced industrial base, South Africa is expected to play a central role in linking African producers, manufacturers and markets. This partnership will facilitate economic growth, transformation and opportunities for South Africa and the continent.
Mr Masina said this partnership demonstrates strong confidence in South Africa’s economic potential. "We affirm our support as a committee for initiatives that promote industrialisation, regional trade and inclusive economic growth”, he said.
The committee emphasised that effective implementation and oversight will be important in ensuring that the partnership delivers real benefits for South Africans, in the form of jobs, investment and sustainable development.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON TRADE, INDUSTRY AND COMPETITION, MR MZWANDILE MASINA.
For media enquiries, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Ms Faith Ndenze
Parliamentary Communication Services
Email: fnd...@parliament.gov.za
International-Solidarity
UAW-Volkswagen deal marks historic breakthrough
5 February, 2026
In a landmark moment for workers’ rights in the US South, the United Automobile Workers (UAW) and Volkswagen have reached a tentative contract agreement at the company’s plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The deal marks the culmination of nearly two years of sustained organizing and collective bargaining since employees there voted overwhelmingly to join the UAW in April 2024.
The tentative agreement, which will now be put to a ratification vote by the workforce, includes a 20 per cent wage increase, enhanced healthcare benefits, stronger job security provisions and improved paid time off. It is the first union contract at the Volkswagen Chattanooga plant, which was until the vote in 2024 the last VW operation anywhere in the world without a union.
The historic organizing effort in Chattanooga was itself a breakthrough for labour in the traditionally difficult landscape of the US South after earlier union drives in 2014 and 2019 had failed to secure worker support. The union win in 2024 came after a complex and prolonged battle with company management, which failed to show the required neutrality for a very long time.
IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Atle Høie says:
“I am in awe of the UAW’s relentlessness in fighting for what is right and standing up for workers’ rights in a climate that systematically seeks to weaken organized labour.
“This victory is not just a win for the workers at Volkswagen but hope for millions of workers across the US, proving that persistence and solidarity can pave the way for significant improvement in workers’ rights and justice on the job.”
For the UAW, the tentative contract represents both a material gain for Volkswagen employees and a symbolic milestone in efforts to expand union influence beyond the Big Three Detroit automakers. The Southern auto industry has long been hostile territory for organized labour, making the Chattanooga success a potential catalyst for further campaigns in the region and across the US manufacturing sector.
The 3,200 workers at the Chattanooga plant will now review the terms of the tentative agreement ahead of a formal ratification vote in the coming weeks.
______________________________
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