SOUTH Africa’s largest trade union federation, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), is to launch a campaign in defence of the Expropriation Act to ensure land reform that benefits ‘the dispossessed black majority’.
COSATU, which represents over 1.5 million workers, concluded its eighth Central Committee in Benoni last week, with a call to push back against ‘neoliberal regression’ and to prioritise measures to unlock economic opportunities through land reform.
The Expropriation Act allows the government to expropriate land without compensation if it is in the public interest. It is being challenged in court by the Democratic Alliance – the ANC right wing coalition government partner – who argue it is ‘unconstitutional and undermines property rights’.
Official unemployment in the country is at 42.9 per cent overall, and 73.1 per cent for young people between 15 and 24, COSATU said, while the economy has struggled to grow beyond one per cent.
COSATU said: ‘South Africa is plagued by endemic crime and corruption and struggling public and municipal services. The Federation views this as a betrayal of the working class and a regression in the revolutionary struggle.’
It resolved to intensify campaigns against budget cuts, demanding ‘a bold and progressive budget’ to stimulate growth, create jobs, and improve frontline services.
The Central Committee celebrated the introduction of the Two-Pot Pension system, a reform COSATU championed since inception.
The change has already released more than 60 billion rands (£2.6 billion) to 3.5 million indebted workers.
COSATU said it was pushing for further changes to reduce the tax burden and allow workers who lost their jobs full access to their savings.
Delegates also reaffirmed support for the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme, which is also being challenged in court.
Sackings at firms including Glencore, ArcelorMittal, Goodyear and Coca-Cola were cited as a major concern.
The impact of soaring electricity prices was also debated. COSATU said above-inflation hikes had fuelled job losses and crippled industry, and said it would engage Eskom – the nationalised energy provider – and government to develop strategies to curb corruption, wastage, vandalism and cable theft.
It also called for urgent stabilisation of state-owned companies including Transnet, Metro Rail, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Denel and the Post Office.
It criticised trade wars under US President Donald Trump and European Union ‘protectionism’ as threats to South Africa’s sovereignty and economic stability.
A statement said: ‘COSATU calls on the South African government to challenge these unilateral actions through multilateral platforms like the World Trade Organisation and to prioritise intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA).’
Meanwhile, The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) is threatening to make Gauteng ‘ungovernable’ during the G20 Summit if some of its demands are not met.
The trade union held a media briefing to express its unhappiness with the Tshwane council voting to increase the salaries of its councillors by five per cent, while worker wages remain stagnant.
Among its several demands, the union wants the increases for councillors to be reversed.
For the first time ever, the G20 event is being held on the African continent.
The event will see heads of state, foreign ministers, and many other experts from across the world gather in the country for talks about global economics.
Johannesburg has been chosen as the host city, however, the cities of Tshwane and Ekurhuleni will also host G20 events.
SAMWU regional chairperson, Lehlohonolo Maphatsoe, said those who have been working hard to ensure the cities are ready for the event are not being appreciated.
SAMWU said: We will mobilise more than 50,000 members of SAMWU in Tshwane if they act against the interest of our members. Actually, we are working on a build-up programme to ensure that Gauteng state will be ungovernable. Gauteng will be ungovernable, there will be no G20 here in Gauteng, so that they know, workers, especially in Tshwane, do not enjoy a healthy relationship with the employer.’
The G20 Leaders’ Summit is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg on 22nd and 23rd November.
Meanwhile, The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, Osun State chapter has embarked on a strike action.
Last Friday, the union directed all its members statewide to withdraw their services and immediately stop reporting to work.
The notice of the strike action was contained in a statement signed by the Osun JUSUN chairman, Idris Adedayo.
Adedayo disclosed that the resumption of the earlier suspended industrial action became inevitable after the expiration of a three day ultimatum earlier issued on Tuesday, 16th September .
He also said the decision to stop work was also as a result of the Chairman of the Judicial Service Commission and Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Oyetola Adepele Ojo, failing to engage with the leadership of JUSUN.
The statement read, ‘It is with great regret that we announce the escalation of our industrial action.
‘Despite our letter of 3rd September, 2025, and the subsequent three-day ultimatum issued on Tuesday, 16th September 16, the Chairman of the Judicial Service Commission has failed to engage with the leadership of JUSUN.
‘This unfortunate lack of response suggests a disturbing disregard for the rule of law and industrial harmony within the Osun State Judiciary. Left with no alternative, we are compelled to take decisive action.
‘We hereby direct all members of staff working in the Osun State Judiciary to withdraw their services and refrain from reporting to work, effective immediately.’
Listing the union’s demands, he said: ‘Expedited Promotions: We request the Commission under the Chairmanship of Honourable Justice Adepele Ojo to expedite the scheduling of a Judicial Service Commission (JSC) sitting to consider promotions for Judiciary Staff for 2024 and 2025, noting that the state government has already approved and paid benefits to other state ministries and parastatals.
‘Training and Capacity-Building: We call on the Commission to sponsor Judiciary Staff to attend National Judicial Institute (NJI) training and capacity-building.’
The Osun JUSUN leadership urged all workers to stand in solidarity and support the collective action because it is intended to protect members rights and interests.
- France has suspended counter-terrorism cooperation with Mali and ordered two staff members of the West African nation’s consulate to leave, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has said.
The two staff members from the Malian embassy and consulate in Paris have been declared persona non grata, France’s foreign ministry added, while Mali declared five French embassy staff members persona non grata.
The suspension announced on Friday comes after a French national, Yann Vezilier, was arrested in Mali last month on charges of plotting a coup.
Mali’s army said at the time that some civilians and soldiers had obtained ‘the help of foreign states’ in their attempt to destabilise the country.
Mali’s security minister, General Daoud Aly Mohammedine, said Vezilier had acted ‘on behalf of the French intelligence service, which mobilised political leaders, civil society actors and military personnel’ in Mali.
Paris claimed the charges were ‘unfounded’.
The French foreign ministry said Vezilier was a member of its embassy in the capital Bamako.
The two Malian diplomats being expelled were told to leave in response to Vezilier’s arrest, a French diplomatic source told the French media which reported that they had to leave by Saturday.
The source added that ‘other measures’ would be implemented soon, ‘if our national is not released quickly’.
France said in August that it was in talks with Mali to ‘clear up any misunderstanding’ and secure the ‘immediate release’ of the arrested envoy.
Earlier this year France was forced to withdraw its troops from the country.
