Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 4 December 2025 #HappyBirthdayNUM #HappyBirthdayCosatu #Cosatu40 #Cosatu40thAnniversary
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY #HappyBirthdayNUM #HappyBirthdayCOSATU! #Cosatu acknowledges all golfers and corporate South Africa for supporting and participating in the annual 2nd #CosatuGolfDay #Cosatu40 #VioletSeboniBrigade #Cosatu40thAnniversary #Cosatu scheduled to hold its 40th Anniversary at Dobsonville, Soweto on December 6 #Cosatu@40 #Cosatu40thAnniversary #SACTU70 #ClassStruggle “Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism” #Back2Basics #JoinCOSATUNow #ClassConsciousness |
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
4 December 2025
“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!
- Treasury publishes Draft General Finance Laws (official benchmarks and procurement) Amendment Bill, 2025 for public comment
- COSATU embarks on a 40th Anniversary Final Push at Soweto townships this week
- Swinging for Dignity: COSATU and President Ramaphosa Tee Off for a Cause
- Applications for media accreditation to cover COSATU 40th Anniversary rally officially opened
- South Africa
- COSATU General Secretary Solly Phetoe Address: NUM 43rd anniversary
- Government welcomes continued GDP growth in Q3 of 2025
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- L7 demands G7 restore labour agenda amid concerns over future of employment track
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
Treasury publishes Draft General Finance Laws (official benchmarks and procurement) Amendment Bill, 2025 for public comment
02 Dec 2025
The National Treasury has published for public comment, as conveyed in Government Notice No. 6891 in Government Gazette No. 53762 (1 December 2025), the Draft General Finance Laws (Official Benchmarks and Procurement) Amendment Bill, 2025 (the draft Bill). The draft Bill proposes amendments to the Financial Sector Regulation Act, 2017 (Act No. 9 of 2017) (FSR Act) and the Public Procurement Act, 2024 (Act No. 28 of 2024). The draft Bill can be accessed on the National Treasury website (www.treasury.gov.za).
Proposed amendments to the FSR Act
The draft Bill proposes to introduce a new chapter in the FSR Act to support the implementation of domestic reforms aimed at strengthening official financial benchmarks. South African financial markets have over time relied on the Johannesburg Interbank Average Rate (JIBAR) as the official benchmark rate for pricing loans, derivatives and other financial instruments. However, the JIBAR’s reliance on indicative quotes rather than actual transactions has raised concerns about its credibility and transparency. To address this, the JIBAR will be replaced by a new reference rate, the South African Rand Overnight Index Average (ZARONIA). By establishing an appropriate legal framework, the amendments create mechanisms to facilitate an efficient transition to new official replacement benchmarks that are administered by the South African Reserve Bank.
The proposed amendments include the following provisions:
The designation and replacement of official benchmarks used in financial contracts and offering processes, to support the transition from the current official benchmark, the JIBAR, to the new reference rate, the ZARONIA;
Mechanisms for the replacement of the official benchmarks referenced in legacy contracts;
Limitations on liability arising from the use of a designated replacement benchmark or designated adjustment spreads; and
Requirements for the consultation processes to be followed by the South African Reserve Bank when replacing official benchmarks.
Proposed amendments to the Public Procurement Act
The Bill also proposes amendments to section 68 of the Public Procurement Act. These amendments extend the timeframes within which the Minister must review the implementation of the Act after it comes into effect, prepare a report on that review and submit the report to Parliament. The proposed amendment is necessitated by the fact that the Public Procurement Act has not taken effect to date pending the finalisation of the Public Procurement Regulations which are necessary for the effective implementation of the Act.
Consultation Process
All written comments will be considered, and the draft Bill will be workshopped with various stakeholders before submission to Cabinet. The Bill will then be processed for tabling in Parliament.
Due date for public comments
Stakeholders are hereby invited to submit written comments on the draft Bill. Please forward all written comments to the National Treasury at Commentdraf...@treasury.gov.za by close of business on 31 December 2025.
For
any media enquiries:
E-mail: me...@treasury.gov.za
Issued by National Treasury
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COSATU embarks on a 40th Anniversary Final Push at Soweto townships this week
Thabo Mahlangu, COSATU National Organising Secretary, 1 December 2025
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Soweto targeted Areas (Mobilisation Blitz) |
Expected Attendees |
Date |
Time |
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Emndeni, Jabulani and Zola |
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2nd December 2025 |
10h00 until13h00 |
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Orlando West and Meadowlands |
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3rd December 2025 |
10h00 until 13h00 |
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Bara Mall and Bara Taxi Rank
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4th December 2025 |
11h00 until 13h00 |
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Dobsonville and Braamfischer Motorcade |
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5th December 2025 |
11h00 until 13h00 |
Details for assembly are table below:
Dates : 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th November 2025
Time : 09h00 – 14h00
Venue : Dobsonville Stadium, Soweto
Resources required: Minimum of 5 cars from each affiliate
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Applications for media accreditation to cover COSATU 40th Anniversary rally officially opened
Zanele Sabela, COSATU National Spokesperson,10 November 2025
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) invites all members of the media to apply for accreditation to attend and cover the Federation’s historic 40th Anniversary rally. This momentous event is scheduled to take place on 6 December at Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto.
COSATU was launched on 1 December 1985, at the height of the struggle against apartheid. Its formation brought together 33 competing unions and federations that were opposed to apartheid but committed to a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa.
Alliance partners, local and international guests have been invited to celebrate 40 years of this vibrant movement advancing, defending and protecting the interests and rights of workers and the working class in South Africa and beyond.
Applications for accreditation may be submitted to mam...@cosatu.org.za or non...@cosatu.org.za with the following details:
Name:
Surname:
ID number:
Media House/Address:
Contact number/email:
Alternatively, an application form can be completed via this link:
COSATU 40th Anniversary Media Accreditation Application Form – Fill out form
Issued by COSATU
Zanele Sabela (National Spokesperson)
Mobile: 079 287 5788 / 077 600 6639
Email: zan...@cosatu.org.za
COSATU
General Secretary Solly Phetoe Address: NUM 43rd anniversary
Solly
Phetoe, COSATU General Secretary, 04 December 2025
President of NUM, Cde. Phillip Vilakazi,
General Secretary, Cde. Mpho Phakedi,
Leadership and members of NUM,
Thank you for inviting COSATU to join you on this historic occasion as we celebrate this mighty giant of the working class.
We
look forward to many more years of militant struggles and victories of our proud affiliate, NUM.
The history of the South African workers’ movement and the liberation struggle is interlinked with that of mine workers. This interlink is informed by the fact that mining has always been and remains the back rock of the South African economy.
43 years of existence, your history can attest your struggle path. The history takes us through some of the genesis of mining in South Africa.
We recall that in the 1910s it was white mine workers who protested at African mine workers being hired. It was the labour movement that forced open the doors for all workers to become mine workers.
This historic moment that sought to divide workers based upon the colour of their skin, lit a fire for the call of non-racialism. It was this spark that saw the Communist Party of South Africa becoming the first political party in South Africa to reject racial
boundaries and open its membership to all races. It was this moment that saw the African National Congress, the Coloured People’s Congress, the Natal and Transvaal Indian Congress, the Congress of Democrats and the CPSA form the Congress Alliance.
Our predecessor, the South African Congress of Trade Unions was an integral part of this revolutionary Alliance.
It was no accident that it was the African Mineworkers Union led by that giant, JB Marks, son of Ventersdorp, who led the historic 1946 mineworkers’ strike.
This was a key impetus to the Congress of the People that gathered at Kliptown in 1955 and adopted the Freedom Charter, that to today guides the liberation movement and indeed the nation.
In 1973 the historic Durban strike saw the revival of the labour movement in spite of the brutality of the apartheid regime.
In 1982, mineworkers once again mobilised and founded NUM under the leadership of James Motlatsi, Elijah Barayi and a young Cyril Ramaphosa. This was a moment the apartheid regime would never recover from.
Not only did the NUM help form the United Democratic Front in 1983 and the mighty COSATU 40 years ago this week but went on to lead the decisive 1987 mineworkers’ strike that shut down the mining sector and brought the apartheid regime to its knees and eventually
the negotiating table.
It was not by accident that ANC delegates elected cde. Ramaphosa as its first SG after the unbanning as it sought to rebuild its internal structures after 30 years underground, banned, imprisoned and in exile.
It was no accident that when the ANC was looking for the most experienced and formidable negotiators, it went to NUM and tasked cde. Ramaphosa to lead us at CODESA.
It is no exaggeration to state the 1994 democratic breakthrough was in no small part an achievement of the mighty NUM.
Our progressive Constitution that is based upon the non-racial and non-sexist vision of the Freedom Charter, was achieved through the sweat and blood of the members of NUM.
Our progressive labour laws, from the Labour Relations to the Basic Conditions of Employment, from the Employment Equity to the Skills Development Act, are the product of decades of struggle by NUM.
In 1994 about 484 mine workers died at work. In 2024, it was 42. This is because of the tireless efforts of this NUM. Whilst applauding this, we must remind the Minister for Mineral and Petroleum Resources and the former GS of NUM, cde. Gwede Mantashe, to table
the Mine Health and Safety Amendment Bill at Parliament as it will be another important step forward to protecting the lives of mine workers.
During COVID-19, it was because of NUM that thousands of mineworkers were protected from this deadly global pandemic. NUM played a key role in putting in place bold health and safety measures and a comprehensive vaccination programme that saved thousands of
lives and livelihoods.
When the economy went through one of its darkest chapters, it was our electricity workers at Eskom and our municipalities, members of NUM and SAMWU who ensured we defeated loadshedding. Now we must defeat load reduction, cable theft, corruption, vandalism and
ensure that all who consume electricity pay for it. The economy requires affordable electricity.
The mining, manufacturing and agricultural sectors too require a highly efficient Transnet. We must give more support to SATAWU to restore this other key state-owned enterprise. This will work well through the recent resolution of twinning for NUM to consider
direct assistance to SATAWU for the purposes of linking the interests of both your sectors.
When some have rushed to abandon coal, we must ensure that we invest in clean coal and clean energy, that we protect the jobs of coal and mine workers and local communities.
Government has set aside R1 trillion for a massive infrastructure investment programme, and we need NUM to be there at each site recruiting, organising and servicing workers. We cannot afford another George tragedy, where the construction site was compromised
and the building collapsed. Employers who break the law must go to jail.
The motor manufacturing sector remains under threat; we need NUM to lead the master plan and ensure that this strategic industry is protected and grows.
We have come far since 1946, 1983, 1985 and 1994. We have much to be proud of. But we have much more to do.
Today, while we are dealing with the safety issues in the mining space, where workplace accidents have flooded our mines in the past fifteen years (The Lilly mines is one example). We are also confronted with serious challenges of massive retrenchments, where
the union is dealing with Section 189, almost every week.
Most of the big mining bosses do not want to take responsibility for employment and they are only chasing profits.
Some are even abandoning mines and leaving an opening for informal mining (zama-zama). We must say that this problem of zam-zamas is a self-created problem by these mine bosses who just leave, and workers remain stranded without any income.
We are pushing for most of these mines to be opened to ensure workers get to be re-employed.
We will be celebrating at Dobsonville on Saturday the 40th anniversary of the Federation of Elijah Barayi. We need NUM to ensure that stadium is full. We cannot afford empty chairs. Can we go out and mobilise every leader, organiser, shop steward and member
of NUM across Gauteng, North West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KZN and the Free State to be there in their numbers.
We will be holding COSATU’s National Congress in September. We need to see NUM’s membership boosted to no less than 200 000. No one must doubt that COSATU lives, COSATU leads.
We will be heading towards the most difficult local elections in 2026. We need an active NUM as we engage and mobilise workers to come out in their numbers to ensure that the Alliance emerges with an outright majority at the ballot box across the country.
This requires us as NUM and COSATU to ensure that Alliance is reconfigured and united and campaigns as one in these elections. We cannot afford for the Alliance to be divided.
Leadership allow me to conclude by thanking you for all that NUM has achieved over its 43 militant years. There can be no COSATU without NUM. We remain confident that workers are led by this revolutionary union and that we will grow from strength to strength.
Thank you.
Matla!
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Government welcomes continued GDP growth in Q3 of 2025
03 Dec 2025
Government welcomes the latest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) results released by Statistics South Africa today (2 December 2025), showing that the economy grew by 0,5% in the third quarter of 2025. The growth marks the third consecutive quarter of growth following the 0,9% expansion in the second quarter. The continued improvement reflects the resilience of the South African economy and the impact of ongoing structural reforms to support inclusive and sustained growth.
The trade, catering and accommodation sector grew by 1,0%, supported by stronger retail, wholesale, tourism and food services activity. The mining sector expanded by 2,3%, driven by platinum group metals, manganese ore and coal.
Growth was also recorded in finance, real estate and business services (up 0,3%), general government services (up 0,7%) and manufacturing (up 0,3%). The agriculture, forestry and fishing sector increased by 1,1%, supported by stronger performance in crops, horticulture and animal products.
The GDP results show that while challenges remain, the economy is on a path of gradual recovery. Government will continue implementing measures to support growth, investment and job creation.
Media
enquiries:
Ms Nomonde Mnukwa, Acting Government Spokesperson
Cell: 083 210 6776
Mr William Baloyi, Deputy Government Spokesperson
Cell: 083 390 7147
Issued by Government Communications
International-Solidarity
L7 demands G7 restore labour agenda amid concerns over future of employment track
3 December 2025
Trade unions have raised serious concerns about the future of the G7’s labour and employment agenda following the virtual G7 Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting (LEMM).
After repeated calls from the Labour 7 (L7) throughout 2025, the Canadian presidency finally convened the meeting. While trade unions welcome the holding of the LEMM – even if late and online – the L7 was disappointed that the G7 only led to the adoption of a short Communiqué from the presidency, with little content and political commitments from G7 members. .
The L7 actively engaged in the work of the Employment Working Group (EWG) throughout 2025, working with the Canadian presidency, including by co-organising a dedicated EWG session with the B7 on strengthening workforce resilience. The L7 strongly regrets, however, that this engagement did not translate into more concrete deliverables and greater political commitments. With still no formal announcement of a LEMM under the incoming French presidency in 2026 yet, and the United States taking over in 2027, trade unions warn the G7’s labour and employment track is now at serious risk.
While the G7 discussed important themes this year, not least the advancement of AI, the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market and ways to ensure workforce resilience, the failure to adopt actionable targets and a strong political declaration comes at precisely the wrong time. Digitalisation, AI, climate change and demographic shifts are transforming the world of work – and the G7 must shape these transitions to deliver decent work and fair wages.
The L7 Communiqué, circulated to Ministers ahead of the meeting, challenges the G7 to adopt concrete, measurable targets – including a “G7 target on Zero In-Work Poverty” centred on minimum living wages and collective bargaining, and a specific collective bargaining target to extend protections to millions of workers currently left without coverage.
“The relevance and credibility of the G7 is at stake. With workers’ rights eroding and millions living in poverty, the G7 cannot sideline its social dimension in times of such uncertainty. The L7 stands ready to work with Ministers – but we need political commitment, not retreat.”TUAC General Secretary Veronica Nilsson
“The G7 must move from commitments to action. Workers cannot wait while governments debate – they need concrete measures on living wages, collective bargaining and just transition. We call on G7 members to restore full political engagement and deliver real progress in 2026.”ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle
Read the full L7 Communiqué here.
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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