JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — As the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) prepares to kick off its 15th National Congress this Monday, the labor federation is navigating a profound internal crisis. According to former COSATU trade unionist and political writer Dr. Ebrahim Harvey, the upcoming elective conference is being dangerously overshadowed by intense leadership battles, threatening to derail the stated goal of rebuilding worker power amid widespread retrenchments.
While the official mandate of the congress centers on revitalizing the labor movement, Dr. Harvey highlighted that the federation is instead grappling with severe internal contradictions. A primary flashpoint is the situation surrounding COSATU’s first deputy president, Mike Shingange, who also serves as the president of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU). Shingange recently received a suspension letter from NEHAWU but reportedly defied the order to accept a nomination for the COSATU presidency. Dr. Harvey pointed out the constitutional dilemma this creates, noting that a suspended member cannot legally vote or hold office, leaving the federation with a complex procedural crisis on the eve of its most significant post-apartheid gathering.
This internal strife comes at a critical time for the rank and file. COSATU’s membership has declined from a peak of over 2.2 million to approximately 1.6 million. Dr. Harvey expressed deep concern that while workers are actively facing job losses, unfair labor practices, and a lack of support from the very unions they pay subscription fees to, the leadership is preoccupied with “palace politics.”
Despite the chaos, published reports suggest that the current COSATU president is poised to secure the position of general secretary, reportedly backed by influential affiliates such as the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
Beyond internal union dynamics, COSATU is also being dragged into the fracturing of the historic tripartite alliance. The South African Communist Party (SACP) recently decided to contest the impending local government elections independently, a move that has caused significant friction with the African National Congress (ANC). Although COSATU attempted to adopt a position of neutrality and resolved not to persuade its members on how to vote, Dr. Harvey noted that the federation has already been torn apart by these escalating political tensions, having historically served as a convenient electoral base for the ANC.
In what Dr. Harvey described as a shocking and unprecedented development, there is growing speculation that the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) may participate in the congress. NUMSA, along with former COSATU leader Zwelinzima Vavi, was expelled from the federation in 2013 following a major ideological fallout with the ANC. Dr. Harvey admitted that the possibility of NUMSA’s attendance highlights the unpredictable and transformative times the labor movement is currently navigating.
Despite these compounding challenges, Dr. Harvey emphasized that workers should not lose faith in the trade union movement. He stressed that COSATU remains a vital centerpiece of civil society and a crucial mass organization in South Africa. He urged members to stay engaged, arguing that resolving the federation’s leadership and operational problems requires active participation from the very workers the union was built to serve.
