Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 10 July 2025
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
10 July 2025
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- SADTU holds Online Political School: Trade Unionism in South Africa
- The lifting of the suspension of the Kimberley Area Commissioner is a setback in the fight against sexual harassment in the workplace
- South Africa
- COSATU welcomes impending criminal charges against George building collapse culprits
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Threats target Colombian mining union officials
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
SADTU holds Online Political School: Trade Unionism in South Africa
Invitation to attend the SADTU Online Political School on this Facebook page and YouTube (SADTU ONLINE TV) on Wednesday, 16 July 2025.
Time: 13:00
Topic: Trade Unionism in South Africa
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The lifting of the suspension of the Kimberley Area Commissioner is a setback in the fight against sexual harassment in the workplace
Mbabali Mkontwana, POPCRU Provincial Secretary, 10 July 2025
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) in the Northern Cape is deeply disturbed by the decision to lift the suspension of the Area Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) in the Kimberley Management Area—just months after serious allegations of sexual harassment surfaced within the institution.
This reversal not only undermines efforts to create a safe and dignified work environment, but also threatens to reverse years of struggle to make workplaces free from intimidation, gender-based violence (GBV), and patriarchal abuse. The decision sends a damaging and chilling message to victims: that speaking out may come with no justice and that perpetrators, even when suspended, are shielded by power structures rather than held accountable.
In March 2025, the Area Commissioner—Mr Joseph—was placed under suspension amid a storm of allegations related to workplace misconduct and sexual harassment. Yet, in early July, this suspension was inexplicably lifted, despite no transparent resolution of the underlying complaints and no demonstrable institutional action to address the core issues raised by the victims and their allies.
We live in one of the most unsafe societies in the world, and South Africa’s shameful rates of gender-based violence are well known. GBV has not only infiltrated communities, but has deeply embedded itself within workplaces—especially within the security cluster where hierarchies of power are often abused and accountability systems are weak or compromised. The Department of Correctional Services is no exception.
Sexual harassment in the workplace is not a private matter—it is a structural, institutional crisis. It threatens the dignity, safety, and psychological well-being of employees. It shatters trust, erodes morale, and fosters a climate of fear. Worse still, when leadership fails to act decisively and transparently, it entrenches the culture of silence and retribution that allows abuse to thrive unchecked.
As POPCRU, we have always fought for the safety and dignity of our members. We view the lifting of the Area Commissioner’s suspension as a gross injustice and a betrayal of all those who have courageously come forward to speak out against harassment and intimidation. We are extremely concerned about the precedent this sets—not only for DCS, but for all government institutions.
We therefore demand the following:
1. That the Department of Correctional Services reverses the decision to uplift the suspension of the Area Commissioner until an independent investigation has been concluded, and justice is visibly done.
2. That all DCS members who were recently dismissed due to the so-called restructuring process in the Kimberley Management Area be reinstated, and that a panel of independent persons be appointed to oversee this process transparently and fairly.
3. That DCS implements clear, robust, and accountable mechanisms to prevent, address, and resolve all incidents of sexual harassment, including:
o Safe reporting channels that protect whistleblowers;
o Swift disciplinary action against perpetrators;
o Gender-sensitisation programmes and leadership training.
4. That all government institutions and senior managers take a firm and uncompromising stand against sexual harassment, gender-based violence, and femicide (GBVF) within the workplace. Words are no longer enough—action must follow, with accountability at every level.
The fight against GBVF is not a seasonal campaign—it is a national emergency that requires decisive, daily action. Workplaces must be transformed into safe, equal, and empowering spaces. If we continue to protect perpetrators and silence victims through bureaucratic inertia or political shielding, we are complicit in the abuse.
As POPCRU Northern Cape, we are committed to intensifying this fight. We will support every worker who stands against injustice, and we will not rest until a new culture of respect, dignity, and safety is embedded in every corner of our institutions.
Issued by: POPCRU Northern Cape Province
COSATU welcomes impending criminal charges against George building collapse culprits
Zanele Sabela, COSATU National Spokesperson, 10 July 2025
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes news that criminal charges will soon be laid against those responsible for the George building collapse.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson, said on Wednesday that criminal charges against those responsible for the disaster that led to the death of 34 construction workers and injured 28 others were imminent. More than 60 workers were on site when the multi-story building on Victoria Lane collapsed while under construction on 6 May 2024.
A National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) report released by Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, in April revealed systemic failures across several levels including the building not being properly registered before construction commenced; construction getting underway before approvals were finalised; and individuals occupying critical roles without possessing vital qualifications such as engineering or quantity surveying.
Now the Engineering Council of South Africa’s final report into the incident is complete. According to Macpherson, it details a picture of preventable errors, regulatory failures and professional negligence. The council will brief the public on the outcomes after meeting with the families of the deceased and the injured.
COSATU has consistently called for those responsible to be fully held to account and is pleased that they will face criminal charges, because we cannot stand-by while workers’ lives are sacrificed when unscrupulous employers do not comply with laws that are meant to safeguard lives.
The Federation will ensure that those who flout the laws of the country face stringent sanctions and penalties as per the provisions of the Housing Consumer Protection Act, passed by President Cyril Ramaphosa in January.
Issued by COSATU
International-Solidarity
Threats target Colombian mining union officials
8 July, 2025
Union leaders in Colombia’s mining sector are facing renewed threats and intimidation, sparking calls for urgent government action to protect their safety. The latest incidents target members of Sintracarbón, underscoring the persistent dangers for trade unionists in one of the world’s most hazardous countries for labour activism.
Colombia has long ranked among the world’s most dangerous countries for trade unionists. International organizations report that in recent decades, dozens of union leaders have faced threats, persecution, and assassinations. While government protection programs have been introduced in recent years, significant risks remain, particularly in strategic sectors such as mining and energy.
The La Jagua branch president of Sintracarbón, Germán Aranzales, has reportedly faced threats and extortion attempts since June 8 of this year, according to union sources. The union has also denounced surveillance and intimidation directed at other members, including trade unionist Silvio Mendoza and Rocío Torres Bobadilla, a lawyer who advises the union on labor proceedings.
The threats began after Sintracarbón and Sintraminergética filed a request with the Labour Ministry calling for the suspension of the collective dismissal of some 300 employees at Prodeco and Carbones de La Jagua (CDJ), emphasising the need to declare the nine subsidiaries of the Glencore group in Colombia as a single business entity.
In the letter sent by IndustriALL to the Colombian government, concern is expressed about the recent threats and harassment and urgent measures are requested to guarantee the safety of the union leaders and advisors concerned. The letter also calls on the public prosecutor’s office to press ahead with the corresponding investigations.
IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie says:
“We are extremely concerned and appalled by this new and blatant violation of fundamental human and trade union rights. Given the long history of violence against trade union and social leaders in Colombia, we view these threats with the utmost seriousness and concern.”
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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