Taking COSATU Today Forward, 19 August 2025 #CosatuCC2025
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY #Cosatu scheduled to convene its ordinary 8th Central Committee next month, September in Johannesburg #CosatuCC2025 #WorkerControl #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
19 August 2025
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- North West Provincial Legislature on NTI’s legal appeals affecting bus workers
- South Africa
- Presidency invites nominations for National Orders
- Media release: SACP Eastern Cape Provincial Council declaration
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Two workers killed in explosion at US Steel plant
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
North West Provincial Legislature on NTI’s legal appeals affecting bus workers
18 Aug 2025
The North West Provincial Legislature Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management chaired by Hon. Freddy Sonakile would like to express its deep concern and outrage following reports that 14 employees of North West Transport Investments’ (NTI) bus companies have taken their own lives due to months of unpaid salaries.
“Families are suffering, homes are being repossessed, and in some cases, workers have reportedly died of hunger, while a legal impasse continues to drag on,” stated Hon. Sonakile.
The Committee is firm in its view that the entire province cannot be held to ransom by one individual, NTI’s first Business Rescue Practitioner, Mr Thomas Sammons, whose repeated appeals have stalled progress.
“This legal circus cannot continue while workers and their families bear the brunt of the crisis. We insist that urgent measures must be facilitated to ensure that salaries are paid without further delay, irrespective of the ongoing court processes. Workers continue to serve the public, and their dignity must be restore,” said Hon. Sonakile.
The Committee has resolved to call on Premier Lazarus Mokgosi, together with the MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, MEC Wessels Morweng, and MEC for North West Provincial Treasury, MEC Keneetswe Mosenogi, to amongst others urgently meet with NTI’s Acting CEO, Dr Ben Dikobe and the current Business Rescue Practitioner, Mr Mahomed Tayob, to devise immediate strategies that will allow salary payments to flow while the legal case continues. The Committee also noted that workers cannot remain the collateral damage of protracted litigation and government indecision.
Furthermore, the Committee calls on the North West Provincial Government to:
Vigorously defend the current business rescue process in the courts;
Pursue cost orders against Mr Sammons to deter further frivolous appeals; and
Demonstrate its seriousness by providing full support to the workers during this transition.
The Committee demands that the Premier and MECs provide formal feedback within 14 days on the concrete steps being taken to ensure that workers are paid.
In parallel, the Committee will also engage with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to establish progress on the case it previously referred regarding NTI’s affairs.
“Failure by government to act with urgency will render it equally complicit in the suffering of employees, especially since it was government that invoked voluntary business rescue in the first place,” stated Hon. Sonakile.
The Committee will continue to monitor this matter closely and will not hesitate to hold both the Department and the entity accountable. The lives and livelihoods of workers must come before any legal theatrics.
To
arrange interviews with the Chairperson:
Ms. Namhla Luhabe
Cell: 079 527 0628.
Issued by North West Provincial Legislature
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Media release: SACP Eastern Cape Provincial Council declaration
Xolile Nqatha, SACP Eastern Cape Provincial Secretary, 10 August 2025
“Building a Strong Popular Front Against Neo-Liberal Policies and the Cost of Living – Putting People Before Profits!”
We, the 600 communist delegates, representing the disciplined and militant membership of the South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Eastern Cape, together with the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA), gathered at this historic Provincial Council from the 9th – 10th August 2025.
Our Council was honored by the presence and participation of our Alliance partners, the African National Congress (ANC), the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), and the South African National Civics Organization (SANCO). These engagements reaffirm the unity of the working-class movement, while recognizing the urgent need to reconfigure the Alliance to meet the demands of our time.
We received a keynote address from our General Secretary, Cde Solly Mapaila, a clear, uncompromising call for the working class to organize, to mobilize, and to prepare to lead. His message was unambiguous that without a strong, united and coherent Communist Party rooted in the daily struggles of the people, the working class will remain vulnerable to betrayal and exploitation.
We also received, deliberated and adopted the PEC Political, Organizational, and Financial Reports. These documents provided an honest assessment of our strengths, weaknesses and the tasks before us. We welcomed the continued numerical growth of the SACP in the Eastern Cape, but we recognize that numbers alone are insufficient as such the growth must be matched by a campaigning, disciplined and ideologically grounded Party capable of leading the masses in struggle, especially as we approach the decisive moment of the 2026 Local Government Elections.
The Political Economy of South Africa Capitalism Has Failed the Working Class
Thirty years after our democratic breakthrough, the capitalist system even under democratic governance has stubbornly retained its exploitative, racist and parasitic character.
While successive democratic governments have implemented redistributive programs, these have been grossly insufficient to alter the structural foundations of our colonial-apartheid economy. The economy remains dominated by monopoly capital, largely white-owned and imperialist-linked, which dictates the terms of production, trade and wealth distribution.
As of 2024, 13.2 million South Africans live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than R18.78 per day. This is not a neutral failure, it is the direct outcome of neo-liberal economic policies that prioritize profits over people, debt repayment over development, and the interests of the capitalist class over the needs of the working class.
Council declared that this is not an accident, but it is capitalism working exactly as designed. It enriches a small elite while condemning the majority to unemployment, poverty, and insecurity.
Our Council reaffirmed that neoliberalism is the enemy. We must reject it in all its forms from fiscal austerity to privatization, from wage suppression to corporate deregulation.
We demand structural transformation of the economy:
State-led industrialization, Public ownership of strategic sectors,
Overhaul the policy trajectory away from neo-liberalism
Reject any privatization of public entities and basic amenities such as water and electricity.
Democratic control over natural resources,
Redistribution of land and wealth to the working class.
We declare that without the dominant role of a socialist-oriented state in the economy, South Africa will remain trapped in dependency, inequality, and developmental crisis.
The Meaning of the Moment – 2026 as a Historic Turning Point
Our 15th National Congress and the Fifth Special National Congress reaffirmed the historic resolution: the SACP will contest the 2026 Local Government Elections in its own right, exercising our independence as a working-class party.
Council is of the firm view that this is not a departure from the revolutionary Alliance, nor a rejection of our shared history. It is the necessary step to address the crisis of working-class representation, which has deepened due to the failure to reconfigure the Alliance and the ANC’s rightward drift towards neo-liberal accommodation.
We have long reserved the right to exercise this direction, making it a mechanism of the last resort when all else we have tried has not brought the reconfiguration of the Alliance to fruition.
In addition, our Alliance was not founded on electoral contests. It was not based on supporting only one Alliance partner once we have achieved the right to hold regular democratic elections. Nor was it anchored in supporting one Alliance partner so that it can make unilateral decisions instead of Alliance consensus-seeking consultation, participatory democracy and inclusive approaches.
Our Alliance is a strategic alliance of both interdependent and independent partners. Emphasising one of these two anchors of the Alliance at the expense of the other will be a serious error for revolutionaries to commit.
As things stand, without Alliance reconfiguration, the independence of its organised working-class forces interested in securing the interconnected success of the National Democratic Revolution and deepening the advance towards a socialist society stands to be further compromised. This will go against, and is completely undesirable, for the revolution and the SACP as an independent working-class party.
We remind the movement:
The Alliance was not founded to guarantee one partner electoral dominance.
It was not meant to be a rubber stamp for unilateral decisions.
It is a revolutionary front of independent but interdependent forces, bound by consensus-seeking and the shared goal of national liberation leading to socialism.
If independence is sacrificed in the name of “unity” that masks class compromise, the Alliance will become a prison for the working class instead of a weapon for its emancipation.
We reject the revisionist notion that the SACP’s role is merely to influence the ANC from within. We are not a lobby group – we are the vanguard party of the working class.
We will also forge ahead to engage our long-trusted ally, COSATU, on our conviction to engage all federations and unions towards one country, one federation. This is because we believe that the SACP must vanguard the entire working class as the battle ahead requires a coherent working class, particularly worker formations.
Government of National Unity – A Class Betrayal
The May 2024 elections revealed a sobering truth: 22 million eligible voters either did not register or did not vote. This is the loudest possible signal that the motive forces of the NDR workers and poor are disillusioned. They see that the current policy trajectory is not working for them.
Instead of correcting course, the ANC leadership chose to form a Government of National Unity with the Democratic Alliance the political representative of monopoly capital, committed to blocking transformation and defending the privileges of the capitalist class.
As the Council we declare we are clear that this was not a tactical necessity, but a strategic detour. It risks derailing the NDR entirely and alienating the working class even further.
Tariffs Implications
The tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have a dire effect for South Africa and especially for the Eastern Cape whose economy is dominated by the auto sector. However, these developments must be understood for what they are, as the desperate attempt by the American administration to reassert the lost hegemony of America, these measures are part of an “America First” narrow nationalism.
We must intensify industrialisation of South Africa rather than depending on the fluid international dynamics and further explore alternative markets anchored within the BRICS family.
On National Dialogue
While the council appreciates in principle the convening of the national dialogue involving all sectors of society. However we are steadfast that the national dialogue must not be about charting or reinforcing the current neo liberal path but must be preoccupied with how it returned the country on a firm path in implementation of the Freedom Charter.
On so called ‘GNU’’
As it relates to the Government of National Unity, the council is of a firm view that the political choice taken by the ANC is the gross betrayal of everything the ANC and the alliance stands for. This characterization is not done lightly or with an intention to insult but with understanding that the DA is a class party, which represents the white bosses and bourgeoisie who are fundamentally opposed to the transformation agenda.
As such working with them will only block the thorough transformation and on that basis, it means the ANC is veering off the path that glues the alliance together.
Reaffirming the NDR as the strategic path to socialism
The Council reaffirm the NDR as the shortest and direct route to socialism in South Africa. This path can be fast-tracked if its anchored on speedy implementation of the Freedom Charter and the principles of socialism in addressing social and economic crises, environmental degradation and the structural legacy of CST.
We pledge to mobilize greater sections of urban and rural workers, as well as the poor, around a common program to ensure working-class leadership in advancing the NDR and socialism. We reject narrow nationalist and bourgeois reformist agendas that derail the working class from its historic mission.
Building a Socialist Axis and Popular Left Front
The working class cannot wait for salvation from the top. We will build power from below. This means:
A Left Axis for Socialism, anchored by the SACP and COSATU, united with progressive trade unions, social movements, and political organisations.
Sectoral fronts to tackle youth unemployment, gender-based violence, environmental justice, and land redistribution.
Campaigns for re-industrialisation, mass public employment, and community-driven economic development.
Campaign for self-sustaining initiatives from food securing to securing critical social and economic infrastructure
Implement the red caravan initiative to all our districts
On emergence of Multilateral world order and its contestation
Council appreciated that the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the consolidation of a unipolar world order, dominated by the United States and its imperialist allies.
However, this imperial order is no longer unchallenged. A new phase in the evolution of global political dynamics is emerging, marked by the decline of U.S. unipolarity and the rise of a multipolar world driven by:
· The rise of China as a global economic and geopolitical power.
· Strengthening of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and now expanded to include countries like Iran, Egypt, and the UAE).
· Global South reassertions of sovereignty, fueled by growing resentment toward Western hypocrisy and exploitation.
BRICS, while not a socialist orientated, however it has become a symbolic and real formation contesting imperialist control of global institutions like the IMF, World Bank, and WTO. Its growing influence marks a rebalancing of global power away from Atlantic-centered dominance to a more diverse and contested global landscape.
The transition from a unipolar to a multipolar world does not guarantee socialism or justice on its own. But it opens the space for national liberation movements, socialist parties, and working-class struggles to assert themselves more forcefully.
On Palestine Situation
The situation in Palestine remains dire. The Israeli government’s actions in Gaza, including military aggression, restrictions on movement, and the destruction of infrastructure, have led to severe humanitarian crises. These actions have been widely condemned and are viewed as violations of international law.
As the Council we commend the South African government’s decision to bring the case against Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ acknowledged the plausibility of genocide being committed in Gaza, highlighting the severity of the situation.
On developments in the African Continent
In Africa we have noted the recent surge in military interventions across Africa has sparked critical discussions about the efficacy of bourgeois democracy on the continent. Notably, many of these coups have garnered significant public support, indicating widespread disillusionment with existing democratic structures.
Since 2020, Africa has witnessed nine coups in West and Central Africa, including Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger. In several instances, such as the 2023 coup in Gabon, citizens celebrated the ousting of long-standing regimes perceived as corrupt and unresponsive. This trend suggests that many Africans view military interventions as means to disrupt entrenched political elites and address systemic failures.
Under the leadership of Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso has embarked on a path emphasizing state control over key economic sectors. The government has initiated plans to withdraw some mining permits from foreign companies and increase domestic gold production. Additionally, the construction of the country’s first gold refinery aims to retain more value from its natural resources. These measures reflect a commitment to economic sovereignty and reducing dependency on external actors.
The Council affirmed Africa growth initiatives must be buttressed by the continental initiatives like AfCFTA to chart the path to self-determination and integration. For democracy to be meaningful in Africa, it must transcend formal electoral processes and address the substantive needs and aspirations of its people.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents a significant step toward economic integration and self-reliance. By reducing tariffs and harmonizing trade policies, AfCFTA can boost intra-African trade and industrialization.
Filling of vacancies in the PEC
The SACP Provincial Council had a responsibility to fill vacancies in the Provincial Executive Committee, to this end the council elected the following comrades:
2nd Deputy Provincial Secretary, Comrade Mawethu Rune
Additional members:
Siphelele Gavu
Sivile Mvana
Mazotsho Dukwe
Conclusion – The Road Ahead
This Council declares:
We will contest the 2026 Local Government Elections as a party of the working class.
We will intensify the struggle against neo-liberalism.
We will take forward the work of deepening the left axis of workers and the poor for socialism as the only path to end exploitation, inequality, and oppression.
We will take forward the work of intensifying self-sustaining initiatives as proposed by Red Caravans.
The 2026 elections are not about seats, they are about class power. We go forward not as opportunists merely chasing positions, but as revolutionaries building organs of working-class participation at all levels.
Issued by the SACP Eastern Cape
Presidency invites nominations for National Orders
18 Aug 2025
The Presidency invites all South Africans to exercise their right to nominate outstanding members of the public for National Orders, to identify persons nationally and globally who have served the nation or attained personal achievements in exceptional ways.
National Orders are the highest awards that our country, through the President, bestows on citizens and eminent foreign nationals.
The President as the fount of honour in the country bestows these Orders and is assisted by the Director-General in The Presidency, who is the Chancellor of National Orders and the Advisory Council on National Orders, in the execution of this responsibility.
The Chancellor of National Orders, Ms Phindile Baleni, calls on citizens to make nominations for National Orders as part of sustaining the integrity, inclusiveness and diversity of this institution of social cohesion and nation-building.
Ms Baleni said: “The National Orders are a platform for the recognition of fellow South Africans and persons globally who, in exceptional ways, have historically made or are currently making important or interesting contributions to all aspects of our national life.”
“From politics to popular culture, as well as the recognition of bravery, the National Orders give us an opportunity annually to be inspired by and grateful to people who have done outstanding things to shape our past and our future.
“We therefore invite people from all walks of life and backgrounds – including the youth of our country - to identify from their communities and sectors persons who, on the basis of exceptional achievements or contributions, deserve the honour of a National Order.”
The following are our National Orders:
The Order of Mapungubwe is awarded to South African citizens for excellence and exceptional achievement.
The Order of the Baobab is awarded to South African citizens for distinguished service. The service awarded is well above and beyond the ordinary call of duty. It is an award for exceptional and distinguished contributions in the following categories: business and the economy: science, medicine and technological innovation, and community service.
The Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo is awarded to eminent foreign nationals. It is awarded for friendship shown to South Africa. It is therefore an order of peace, co-operation and active expression of solidarity and support. The Order constitutes an essential pillar of international and multilateral relations.
The Order of Luthuli is awarded to South Africans who have made a meaningful contribution to the struggle for democracy, human rights, nation-building, justice and peace, and conflict resolution.
The Order of Ikhamanga is awarded to South African citizens who have excelled in the fields of arts, culture, literature, music, journalism and sport.
The Order of Mendi for Bravery is awarded to South African citizens who have performed extraordinary acts of bravery that placed their lives in great danger, or who lost their own lives while performing those acts, including in trying to save the life of another person, or by saving property, in or outside the Republic of South Africa.
Nomination forms that outline simple guidelines to nominators can be downloaded at: https://www.thepresidency.gov.za/national-orders-booklets-18
Each filled nomination form must be accompanied by a motivations, which should include:
an introductory paragraph with a summary of the nominee’s achievements
a list of exceptional milestones reached by the nominee in his/her career and/or international arena, and
a description of the exceptional, outstanding, dedicated service or act of bravery rendered by the nominee.
The closing date for nominations: 31 August 2025.
Details of the annual National Orders Ceremony will be provided at a later date.
Media
enquiries:
Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President
E-mail: me...@presidency.gov.za
Issued by The Presidency
International-Solidarity
Two workers killed in explosion at US Steel plant
13 August, 2025
A powerful explosion at a US Steel plant in Pennsylvania on 11 August has left two workers dead and ten injured.
The cause of the blast remains under investigation. Reports indicate the workers had been carrying out routine operations at the time.
The Clairton Coke plant, which processes coal into coke, has experienced several explosions in recent decades. In 2009, a maintenance worker was killed in a blast, and the following year an explosion injured 20 workers. In February this year, two workers sustained minor injuries when a battery fault caused a build-up of combustible material that ignited.
Bernie Hall, USW District 10 Director, said in response to the accident:
“The USW has occupational health and safety experts and other representatives on the ground at the Clairton Works assessing the situation and aiding our members. While we are still determining the scope of the tragedy, we are aware that multiple workers are receiving medical treatment for their injuries. In the coming days, we will work with the appropriate authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and to see that our members get the support they need.”
______________________________
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