Cosatu Limpopo

08/06/2026

COSATU welcomes Ramaphosa’s address on migration

8 June 2026

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the address by President Cyril Ramaphosa on migration challenges.

Thousands of South Africans have taken to the streets in recent months to demonstrate their unhappiness with the levels of illegal immigration into the country. The President, through his address confirmed that their concerns have been heard. He acknowledged the myriad challenges facing the country including stubbornly high unemployment, particularly among the youth, families struggling to survive, poverty and lack of access to opportunities.

COSATU fully agrees with President Ramaphosa, that intimidation, violence, victimisation and xenophobia against foreign nationals in the country legally or illegally, is not the answer to these ills, and will therefore not be tolerated.

The answer must be rapid economic growth, increased investment, infrastructure development, industrialisation and job creation.

COSATU supports the President in his affirmation that only authorised government officials should act against violations of the country’s laws including violations of immigration laws. Anyone taking the law into their own hands must be brought to book. Actions that destabilise the country through incitement of lawless and violence must never be tolerated.

COSATU welcomes the undertakings made during the address including confirmation that 10 000 labour inspectors will be hired to strengthen compliance with the country’s labour laws.

Specifically, those employers who hire undocumented immigrants with the sole intention of exploiting their vulnerability – paying them a pittance while making them work extraordinarily long hours in unhealthy and unsafe conditions – will be harshly penalised and even imprisoned.

The Federation will be keeping a close eye to ensure the Department of Home Affairs, along with Border Management Authority (BMA), the police and other law enforcement services will intensify the deportation of foreign nationals living in the country illegally, as promised by President Ramaphosa.

COSATU is encouraged to learn that in the last year BMA stopped more than 450 000 people from entering South Africa illegally. At the same time, this high number of attempted illegal entries makes us question how many others managed to enter the country undetected.

COSATU also welcomes the announcement of special immigration courts to accelerate the process of deportation where appropriate; further measures to secure the borders via use of advanced technology, infrastructure and personnel; the closing of loopholes in South Africa’s immigration laws which are exploited by undocumented migrants.

The crucial part of the response detailed by President Ramaphosa is the plan to work closely with countries in the SADC region and on the continent to address the factors that drive migration including conflict, economic failure, poverty, etc.

South Africa cannot address the issue of migration alone, other countries must introspect on why their citizens are leaving their countries of origin for what they perceive to be greener pastures.

President Ramaphosa has spoken, it is now up to the relevant government departments to ensure the plan is implemented. South Africans have made their voices heard over the last few months, they will be watching closely to see if government lives up to its word.

Issued by COSATU

Zanele Sabela (COSATU Spokesperson)
Mobile: 079 287 5788 / 077 600 6639
Email: zan....org.za

08/06/2026

COSATU welcomes appointment of Post Office Board

6 June 2026

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the appointment of the South African Post Office (SAPO) Board.

This responds positively to the call by the Federation and its affiliate, Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) and workers at SAPO for fresh, competent and committed leadership to be put in place and tasked to restore this once thriving public entity to its former glory.

For far too long SAPO has been allowed to deteriorate to a state of near collapse. The absence of dedicated and fit for purpose leadership has been at the centre of this painful decline in addition to SAPO’s failing to keep pace with structural shifts in the postal and communications sectors.

Matters have been made worse by the disastrous tenure of the Business Rescue Practitioners (BRPs) appointed through a court agreement with the creditors and the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies in 2023 with nothing to show beyond retrenching thousands of SAPO employees and plunging their families into absolute poverty and despair, closing hundreds of branches and thus further shrinking its customer base and potential to recover. Workers have been left for years without seeing their meagre wages being adjusted for inflation yet the BRPs have made sure to pay themselves sumptuous fees.

Recent rash threats by the BRPs to liquidate SAPO have pointed to the urgent need for the appointment of a Board that can take charge of the entity and put in place a viable path to recovery.

COSATU will never agree to the liquidation of SAPO. The only liquidation that must take place is that of the BRPs. It is time that the Department approached court to remove the BRPs and provide the Board with the necessary space and support to ensure SAPO is stabilised and set back upon the path to sustainability.

The turnaround of other embattled state-owned enterprises from Transnet to Metro Rail, proves that they can be fixed and once again contribute to stimulating economic growth and creating jobs with competent management, the removal of criminal and corrupt elements, filling frontline vacancies and recruiting critical skills, and investing in the company’s infrastructure and capacity.

The SAPO and Postbank Amendment Acts passed by the 6th Parliament provide a turnaround plan for both institutions, by allowing SAPO to enter the highly lucrative courier business and to become a one stop shop for citizens to access public services and enabling the Postbank to become a fully licensed state bank aimed at working class and rural residents all too often redlined by the private banking sector.

COSATU will be seeking urgent engagements with the Ministry and Parliament’s Portfolio Committee for Communications and Digital Technologies to provide comfort to workers that their jobs will be secured, monies paid and that a turnaround plan will be put in place.

It is critical that Treasury provide the necessary financial support to enable such a turnaround to be implemented as a matter of the highest priority.

Issued by COSATU

Matthew Parks (COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator)
Mobile: 082 785 0687
Email: [email protected]

25/05/2026

15/05/2026

At the conclusion of a meeting, earlier today between the structures of SAMWU Polokwane Local, Kwena Mogololoa Region of SAMWU and SAMWU Limpopo Province. The meeting was fruitful and progressive.

10/05/2026

COSATU notes the Constitutional Court directive to Parliament on the Phala Phala Report

08 May 2026

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) notes the Constitutional Court directive to Parliament on the Phala Phala Report by Justice Sandile Ngcobo, specifically that the Legislature must establish a parliamentary committee to consider and vote upon the Report.

The Federation respects the constitutional role of the judiciary and in particular its mandate to hold the executive accountable without fear or favour.

We appreciate the manner in which President Cyril Ramaphosa has sought to affirm the independence of the judiciary at all times and to subject himself to its full scrutiny as the Head of State.

We await Parliament’s consideration of this weighty issue and urge Members of Parliament to approach this serious matter for workers and the nation, with the necessary sobriety. These are times of immense global and domestic instability which pose real threats to the nation. They require cool and calm heads and less twerking for social media likes or sound bites for television cameras let alone rash or emotional actions.

We are heartened that South Africa is a constitutional democracy where everyone, including Heads of State, is subject to parliamentary oversight, judicial scrutiny and public verdicts. Such constitutional principles must not be taken for granted as we have seen in many other peer nations from the Americas to Africa, Europe and Asia have found even the most established democracies’ institutions fragile to manipulation.

The Federation urges Parliament to consider this matter with the necessary meticulous and foresight. We cannot afford for the legislature to cut or be seen to cut corners. It is important that Parliament be given the space to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities.

It is equally critical that the Bill of Rights’ assurance of the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty be upheld for all citizens, including a Head of State.

Issued by COSATU

Matthew Parks (COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator)
Mobile: 082 785 0687
Email: [email protected]