Taking COSATU Today Forward, 23 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
23 April 2026
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
Organize at every workplace and demand respect for labour rights Now!
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
Ø SAMWU Northern Cape condemns unethical employment practices in Karoo Hoogland Municipality
- South African Communist Party Press Alert-SACP media invitation on latest developments on elections and the question of dual membership
- Media accreditation for COSATU May Day celebrations officially open
- South Africa
- COSATU notes the National Assembly's passage of the Budget's Division of Revenue and Special Appropriations Bills
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Russia: ITUC expresses concern over the situation involving the Confederation of Labour of Russia
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics #ClassWar
SAMWU Northern Cape condemns unethical employment practices in Karoo Hoogland Municipality
P.F.Demas, SAMWU Northern Cape Provincial Secretary, 22 April 2026
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in the Northern Cape unequivocally condemns the unethical and deeply troubling employment practices currently unfolding at Karoo Hoogland Municipality.
The union has learned with great concern of the appointment of the spouses of both the Mayor and the Speaker of Council to positions as their respective Personal Assistants (PAs). This blatant act of nepotism undermines principles of fairness, transparency, and merit in public administration. It has severely damaged employee morale, stifled productivity, and eroded trust within the workplace — all of which have direct negative implications for service delivery.
It is further alarming that the Speaker (VF+) initiated this practice through the appointment of his spouse, and that the Mayor, as the political head of the municipality, has chosen to perpetuate this misconduct rather than take corrective action. Such conduct reflects a blatant disregard for labour laws and governance standards, and constitutes a direct insult to the many unemployed youth and community members whom the municipality is duty-bound to serve. These actions pose a serious threat to labour stability and institutional integrity within the municipality.
On 15 April 2026, the Provincial leadership of SAMWU convened a meeting with the Acting Municipal Manager to raise the concerns of over 90% of employees who are members of SAMWU in the municipality. The union has formally demanded a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the recruitment processes that led to these appointments.
SAMWU will further escalate this matter to the Public Protector and the Auditor-General to ensure that appropriate remedial action is taken and accountability is enforced.The union remains resolute in its commitment to defend ethical governance, protect workers’ rights, and safeguard the integrity of public institutions.
Issued by SAMWU Northern Cape
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South African Communist Party Press Alert-SACP media invitation on latest developments on elections and the question of dual membership
Mbulelo Mandlana, SACP Head of Media, Communications and Information, 22 April 2026
The South African Communist Party (SACP) invites the media to a press conference to deliver its perspective on the ANC’s decision to instruct members to show their allegiance to it, as opposed to the SACP, in the upcoming local government elections or face dire consequences.
Details of the press conference are as follows:
Date: Thursday, 23 April 2026
Time: 10h00
Venue: Cosatu House, 4th Floor, Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
SACP General Secretary, Solly Mapaila, joined by national office bearers, will deliver the Party’s perspective on the matter.
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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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 notes the National Assembly's passage of the Budget's Division of Revenue and Special Appropriations Bills
Matthew Parks, COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, 22 April 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) notes the National Assembly’s passage of the 2026/27 Budget's Division of Revenue Bill and the 2025/26 Budget’s Special Appropriation Bill.
COSATU is extremely disappointed with the lackluster 2026/27 Budget and Medium-Term Expenditure Framework. Whilst appreciating that there are some important allocations that COSATU campaigned for in the Budget, overall it fails to decisively respond to the fundamental crises facing the working class and the economy, in particular a 41.1% unemployment rate, economic growth far below the 3% needed to create jobs, struggling public and municipal services and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), entrenched levels of poverty and inequality, and endemic crime and corruption. Tragically the Budget focusses on balancing the books and not at aggressively kickstarting economic growth or tackling unemployment.
Key to providing an environment where the economy can take off and the lives of the working class be improved, is to ensure that frontline public services have the resources needed to fulfill their constitutional and developmental mandates.
We welcome investments in health and education, in particular R18 billion allocations to enroll 300 000 Grade R learners; R7.8 billion for the National Health Insurance Grants plus R24 billion for revitalising public healthcare infrastructure, R92 billion for district health programmes, the building of seven new provincial hospitals and R21 billion for the employment of doctors over the MTEF.
Local government remains the state’s Achille’s heel with more than 60% of municipalities in financial distress and many struggling to provide basic services or pay staff. The allocation of R27 billion to improve the metros’ abilities to provide basic services and bill correctly is critical, as are plans to strengthen national government’s ability to timeously intervene in and hold failing municipalities accountable.
Plans to connect over 320 000 houses to electricity and roll out 258 000 smart meters are welcome.
However, these do not go far enough to capacitate often highly dysfunctional municipalities, tackle rising municipal debt or deal with corrupt and incompetent municipal management.
Much more must be done to enable Eskom to reduce the price of electricity, plus return Transnet and Metro Rail to full capacity to unlock mining, manufacturing and agricultural jobs as well as to provide efficient public transport for urban workers. The substantial infrastructure investments over the MTEF of R1.07 trillion, in particular for energy, rail, ports, water, roads and airports will help boost economic growth and jobs.
The absence of a bold stimulus package for SMMES, industrial and export sectors badly needed to boost economic growth and jobs is deeply worrying. It is beyond disappointing that the Presidential Employment Programme has been cut by half despite SONA’s commitments to increase it.
Although there are important allocations for some frontline services and infrastructure, COSATU is extremely frustrated that Treasury and government collectively, have once again reduced the Budget to balancing books and missed the opportunity to table a bold stimulus package that would fix public and municipal services, spur economic growth, boost employment, provide relief for the poor and unemployed, and ramp up tax compliance.
COSATU will be seeking urgent engagements with government to ensure these are addressed.
We cannot afford to continue to normalise 1% economic growth nor 41.1% unemployment.
Issued by COSATU
International-Solidarity
Russia: ITUC expresses concern over the situation involving the Confederation of Labour of Russia
20 April 2026
On 9 April, police conducted searches of offices used by the Confederation of Labour of Russia (KTR), the Russian Seafarers’ Union (SUR), and the Federal Trade Union of Air Traffic Controllers (FPAD). We have been informed that the formal grounds for these searches were related to an internal dispute concerning the membership dues within the FPAD.
As a result of the searches, office documents, computers, phones, and other equipment belonging to KTR and its affiliated organisations were seized. At present, we are not aware if criminal charges have been brought against elected trade union leaders or staff members.
“We received timely information regarding the events taking place in trade union offices in Moscow. We are concerned by this development and stand ready to take the necessary steps to defend the rights and interests of our affiliated organisation.
“We are particularly concerned that these events are unfolding on the eve of the 114th International Labour Conference, where issues relating to freedom of association and the protection of trade union rights will be discussed, including in Russia, in the context of the international activities of trade unions. We must emphasise that ILO Convention 87 protects the right of workers to join international trade union organization and to access international trade union solidarity as a core component trade union rights.
In this regard, we have informed the Director-General of the International Labour Organization, and will continue consultations with governments and employers in preparation for the Conference. We expect that there will be no further escalation.” said ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle.
Freedom of association and the right to establish trade unions is core to the fundamental principles and rights at work of the International Labour Organization and constitute the foundation of social dialogue in all countries. The use of mechanisms of international trade union solidarity is not only an inherent right of workers and their organisations but also essential for protecting the interests of trade union members in the context of the global economy.
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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