Deputy President Paul Mashatile: Annual NEDLAC Organised Labour School @KASIBCNEWS

Deputy President Paul Mashatile: Annual NEDLAC Organised Labour School @KASIBCNEWS 

Programme Director, COSATU President Zingiswa Losi;

Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth; 
Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau;
President of the Federation of Union of South Africa (FEDUSA), Godfrey Selamatsela;
President of the National Council of Trade Union (NACTU), Pat Mphela;
President of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), Mosima Maredi;
Director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Country Office for Eswatini, Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa, Alexio Musindo;
Chief Executive Officer of Proudly SA, Eustace Mashimbye;
Key partners and other stakeholders here present;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Delegates and comrades;

Good Morning,

Last year in September I had the honour of attending the 29th Annual NEDLAC Summit, in a year that marked the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s democracy and NEDLAC. I am equally honoured today to have the opportunity to address the 2025 annual Organised Labour School. The Annual Labour School remains a critical platform for reflecting on the state of our labour market, addressing the challenges we face, and charting a way forward for the workers of South Africa. In this regard, it continues to uphold the democratic principles enshrined in our Constitution, anchoring workers’ rights and aspirations at the heart of our economic and social policies.

Over the past 30 years, the government and NEDLAC have strengthened collaboration and dialogue, with NEDLAC continuing as the cornerstone of social dialogue and consensus building in our nation, playing a crucial role in advancing our collective vision for a prosperous and inclusive society.

In 2024, shortly after addressing the Summit, we lost two of the key drivers of the formation of NEDLAC, and its development at those elementary stages, former Ministers; Tito Mboweni and Membathisi Mdladlana respectively. In some ways, their departure represents the turning of the tide, and the necessity for new ideas and ways to emerge in advancing the struggle, and “Building Unity for Workers to Advance Decent Work for All”.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Over the past decade, South Africa has made significant strides in advancing workers' rights and improving labour conditions. Most notably in the Employment Equity Progress, the 2023-2024 Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) Annual Report highlighted a notable increase in the representation of designated groups across various occupational levels, reflecting the positive impact of the Employment Equity Act.

In the 2023/2024 financial year, the Department of Employment and Labour conducted 308,799 workplace inspections, exceeding the annual target by 4%. This proactive approach underscores the government's commitment to ensuring compliance with labour laws and protecting workers' rights.

For the first time in a year, South Africa's official unemployment rate decreased from 33.5% in the second quarter to 32.1% in the third quarter, marking a positive shift in our labour market.

The government's collaborative efforts have led to the introduction of improved retirement packages and social benefits for dependents of labour union members, providing greater financial security for workers and their families.

Comrades,

We are meeting at a time when the world is facing a multi-crisis characterised by inequality, high levels of unemployment, climate change, wars, migration, urbanisation, and the growing youth dividend.

As a country, while there are changes in our economic patterns, we must admit that the pace of our economic growth and development is protracted and not at its optimum levels. While the country is trying its best to promote economic growth through the promotion of investments and infrastructure development programmes, these efforts have not yet yielded satisfactory results.

The current mooted closures and scaling down of production in the steel industry and some of the companies in the mining sector have resulted in massive job losses.

Through our collective efforts, we have managed to develop collectively agreed sector plans. However, all Stakeholders of NEDLAC must bear the responsibility of facilitating the speedy execution of these plans for them to live up to our expected outcomes.  

There is evidence that we can do this!

In the past 30 years, we have together introduced policy programmes aimed at ensuring that we create decent employment for the majority of the people.

Together we have created an environment for labour unions to practice their democratic rights as enshrined in the constitution, the Labour Relations Act and other critical legislation that reversed apartheid policies thereby introducing progressive policy interventions.

We have also introduced the minimum wage, the two-pot retirement system as well as other policies that cushioned workers and the poor. These and many other progressive policies are a result of our commitment to transforming the economy and society so that many who were excluded can meaningfully participate in the economy.

In 2024, we celebrated further victories, including enhanced mechanisms for fair and equitable labour dispute resolutions, greater participation of women in union leadership, and strengthened labour rights enforcement.

However, despite the progressive policy interventions we have introduced, we are still faced with the challenges of high levels of unemployment and poverty as well as inequality. We are also faced with challenges of crime, Gender-Based Violence, and corruption as well as weak implementation and delivery of services.

The COVID-19 pandemic also tested the resilience of our labour sector and exposed vulnerabilities within our economic framework. It is through the collective efforts of government, unions, and the private sector that we were able to protect millions of workers' livelihoods even in the middle of adversity.

Through navigating the effects of the pandemic, we were collectively able to develop and implement strategies that expanded access to Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) benefits, cushioned workers during periods of economic disruption, strengthened workplace health and safety regulations, and preserved jobs in key industries through innovative wage subsidy programs. These measures not only mitigated the immediate impacts of the pandemic but also laid a foundation for a more robust labour market.

We therefore expect that labour in South Africa, will through the Civil Society 20 contribute to discussions that will reshape the global agenda, as we seek to resolve the challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality, but also reframe and reposition global financial institutions towards social justice.

As we look ahead, it is imperative to harness the collective power of all stakeholders—unions, government, and the private sector—to ensure that South Africa’s labour market is inclusive, fair, and globally competitive.

We must address income inequality and improve the quality of life for our workforce, we are not merely fostering economic growth but building a South Africa where every worker feels valued and empowered.

In closing, let us all recommit ourselves to the values of solidarity, equity, and justice. The labour movement, as the backbone of our nation, holds the power to drive South Africa’s economic transformation. Together, through collaboration and collective action, we can overcome the challenges of the 21st century and create a future of dignity, equality, and prosperity for all workers.

Thank you.

Paul Mashatile Deputy President South Africa 

 

SAMRO R3.4MILLION FRAUD @KASIBCNEWS

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) condemns the ongoing corruption at the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), following revelations of R3.4 million in fraudulent claims facilitated by former employees. This disgraceful conduct is not an isolated incident but part of SAMRO’s longstanding failure to prioritise the rights and livelihoods of South African musicians. SAMRO, mandated to collect royalties and license fees for artists, has once again proven itself to be a haven for corruption. 

The Funduzi Forensic Services investigation has uncovered that former employees colluded with publishers to fraudulently claim funds without ownership proof, amounting to gross irregularities in the management of artists’ earnings. Despite SAMRO’s claims of taking legal action, its history is riddled with scandals, exposing a pattern of exploiting musicians and failing to uphold its mandate. For decades, South African artists have been subjected to systemic exploitation, from the apartheid era, when they were stripped of their copyright ownership, to the present day, where SAMRO has repeatedly colluded with major recording companies to cheat musicians out of their royalties and publishing rights. 

This latest scandal demonstrates SAMRO’s continued betrayal of the creative industry and the artists who rely on it for fair compensation. SAMRO’s shady dealings have been well-documented, including its controversial 2018 loss of R47 million in some plan to invest in a music right organisation in the United Arab Emirates. The deal “fell through” resulting in  the loss of these millions that were never accounted for, an utterly misguided use of the funds of SAMRO members. Additionally, SAMRO has been embroiled in scandals around its opaque administration fees, which have inexplicably siphoned millions from the royalties meant for musicians. 

These practices have left countless South African artists impoverished, unable to reap the rewards of their creativity. The EFF has been consistent in the fight for royalties and publishing rights for artists, exposing the injustices and corruption within SAMRO and the exploitation of South African musicians. In February 2021 following a protest by our Member of Parliament Fighter Eugene Mthethwa at SAMRO offices, we challenged SAMRO to publish a list of its top-earning artists, and to shed light on how royalties are distributed. SAMRO, however, refused and continues to refuse to comply or address these concerns, highlighting the dire need for systemic change in the music rights sector to ensure fairness and justice for all artists. 

The EFF is, therefore, calling for tough actions to be taken against all those who have been found guilty of corrupt activities and to be named and shamed as a harsh deterrent of such a conduct that has rendered many artists/composers poor and unable to make ends meet. This cannot be a matter treated with impunity when the sector’s many great sons and daughters have faced the shame of being buried through sponsored funerals. 

The EFF further calls for government to further investigate SAMRO and all other collecting societies to assess if they are managed properly in the best interests of their members. These follow-ups should be informed by the Copyright Review Commission’s Report and its recommendations that were adopted by Parliament in 2011, as there has never been any updates post that exercise. 

Additionally, the EFF has raised concern about the ongoing delays in the enactment of the Copyright Amendment Bill and the Performers' Protection Amendment Bill, both of which are crucial in addressing the exploitation of South African artists. These bills, introduced to Parliament in 2017, aim to strike a fair balance between the rights of copyright holders and users, while also protecting the economic and creative rights of performers.  

Despite their importance, President Cyril Ramaphosa has continuously delayed their implementation, citing questionable constitutional concerns. Most recently, in October 2024, he referred the bills to the Constitutional Court, further stalling progress. These delays perpetuate the suffering of artists and performers, who continue to be denied fair compensation and control over their work. 

This lack of urgency in signing the bills into law reflects the government’s neglect of those who drive the creative economy. 

 

President Cyril Ramaphosa at the WEF on South Africa’s G20 Priorities @KASIBCNEWS

Special address by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the World Economic Forum on South Africa’s G20 Priorities, 21 January 2025, Davos-Klosters, Switzerland

Chairperson of the World Economic Forum, Prof Klaus Schwab,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

We would like to thank the World Economic Forum and especially Professor Klaus Schwab for giving South Africa this opportunity to outline our objectives and priorities for the G20 Summit that will be held in Johannesburg in November 2025.

South Africa’s G20 Presidency follows on the heels of Brazil’s very successful G20 Presidency last year and takes place ahead of the G20 Presidency of the United States of America in 2026.

As a leading forum for international economic cooperation, the G20 plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on major international economic issues.

For the first time in its history, the G20 is being hosted on the African continent following the admission of the African Union as a member of the G20.

This is a moment of great significance for South Africa, the African continent and the world in that it was in Africa where humans developed the capacity and the impulse for cooperation.

Cooperation has been one of the key markers of human development touching on many aspects of life, from survival and social organisation to technological and cultural progress, which is what the G20 was established for. To foster cooperation to deal with the challenges the world faces.  

Cooperation is the bedrock of human civilisation.  

Without cooperation and collaboration – between individuals, groups, peoples, nations – humanity cannot progress.

As we confront the challenges of the 21st century – from climate change to pandemics, from poverty to terrorism, from migration to artificial intelligence – we are again called upon to harness that most powerful, and that most enduring, of human attributes: mutually beneficial cooperation and collaboration.

This is a time of rising geopolitical tensions, unilateralism, nationalism, protectionism, isolationism, rising debt levels affecting poor countries in the world and a declining sense of common purpose.

Yet, this is a moment when we should be standing together as a global community to resolve the problems that confront humanity by ending the wars and conflicts that are causing such hardship and misery to many people around the world.

We are called upon by the exigency of the moment to act together with greater urgency to halt the destruction of our planet.

This is a moment when we should harness the abundant resources we collectively possess and the remarkable technologies that human ingenuity has produced to overcome poverty and inequality, unemployment, especially youth unemployment, and the abuse of women, once and for all.

Thirty-three years ago, the founding president of democratic South Africa, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, spoke here at Davos.

He said:

“Our interdependence, bringing us together into a common global home, across the oceans and the continents, demands that we all combine to launch a global offensive for development, prosperity and human survival.”

In pursuit of this objective – and in giving effect to the mission of the G20 – South Africa will focus its G20 Presidency on three themes: solidarity, equality and sustainable development.

It is South Africa’s firm view that these themes can best be taken forward through the collective actions of institutions like the G20 and various multilateral institutions of the world, especially the United Nations, the WTO and global financial institutions which should be reformed and be more representative and responsive to the needs of the citizens of the world.  

We will seek to get the G20 to focus more on how we can enhance solidarity through collective efforts to ensure that in the pursuit of progress for all, no person and no country is left behind.

The rights and freedoms of one people cannot be separated from the rights and freedoms of all peoples.

This is the foundation on which solidarity is built.

One of the greatest impediments to growth, development and stability is the persistence of inequality within and between countries.

The pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Goal on reducing inequality is as much of an economic imperative as it is a social imperative.

As the G20 we need deliberate and coordinated efforts to focus on inclusive growth based on responsive trade and investment to grow the incomes of poor nations and the poorest in society and to ensure equal access to opportunities especially for women and young people.

For nations to flourish, equality and prosperity must be available to everyone – regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs or economic status.

In addition to huge gaps in economic capabilities and levels of human development, countries of the Global South face a lack of predictable financing for development and climate change, high levels of debt and vulnerability to pandemics.

Debt sustainability for low-income countries is one of the four priorities of South Africa’s G20 Presidency.

In the world we inhabit today, the pursuit of equality and the practice of solidarity cannot be separated from sustainable development.

We need to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

It is therefore in the interests of all countries to act with greater urgency to reduce global emissions – and for industrialised countries to support the climate actions that poorer countries must necessarily take in line with and support of decisions of UN climate change summits.

Another of South Africa’s priorities for its G20 Presidency is therefore to mobilise finance for a just energy transition.

We will seek agreement on increasing the quality and quantity of climate finance flows to developing economies as agreed at various UN climate change summits.

We will continue to call on global financial institutions on the redirection of Special Drawing Rights, which are left unused.

It is simply not fair that over 60 percent of Special Drawing Rights go to a handful of wealthy countries.

These drawing rights should be redirected to enable countries in Africa and other parts of the Global South to realise their developmental aspirations – to enable them to invest in infrastructure, in industrial development, in education and training, and in health care.

We need to leverage private capital and use innovative forms of finance and taxation to raise additional resources for sustainable development.

Global finance institutions should derisk and support more financing for emerging and developing economies

We need to support country initiatives aimed at addressing climate change, such as the Just Energy Transition Partnership that South Africa has entered into with a number of countries of the Global North.

As we accelerate the transition to low-carbon economies in a manner that is just and inclusive, we must recognise the damage that climate change has already wrought. And will continue to wreak.

In light of this, South Africa has therefore made the strengthening of disaster resilience as another of the priorities of its G20 Presidency.

The increasing rate of climate-induced natural disasters is affecting countries that can least afford the costs of recovery and rebuilding.

In order to address this, special financing and insurance mechanisms must be made available to scale up funding for post-disaster reconstruction.

Since the dawn of the industrial age, the benefits to humanity of economic growth have been achieved at the cost of environmental destruction.

If we are to survive and thrive as humanity we must change this.

We must pursue development pathways that reconcile growth with urgent climate action.

Another of South Africa’s priorities for its G20 Presidency is to harness critical minerals for inclusive growth and development.

We need a G20 framework on green industrialisation and investments to ensure progress towards a grand bargain that promotes value addition to critical minerals close to the source of extraction.

We also need the development of low carbon manufacturing value chains which can support decarbonisation and industrial development.

There is a need to promote beneficiation and local value addition of resources at source resulting in an additive rather than an extractive relationship.

As minerals extraction accelerates to match the needs of the energy transition, the countries and local communities endowed with these resources must be the ones to benefit the most.

We will use this G20 to champion the use of critical minerals – through a programme of green industrialisation – as an engine for growth and development in Africa and the rest of the Global South.

As this will be the first G20 summit held in Africa, it is a valuable platform to demonstrate Africa’s promise.

Many agree that Africa is the next frontier of global growth and productivity.

The African continent has an unrivalled natural resource endowment, with the youngest population of all continents.

Africa continues to be an expanding market for goods and services.

The African Continental Free Trade Area has the potential to change the economic and social fortunes of the continent.

We will seek G20 support for the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund that will enhance inclusive growth, sustainability and regional integration.

We will look to consolidate various G20 initiatives related to Africa into a flagship agreement for cooperation focused on implementation of investments in productive sectors in Africa in areas such as infrastructure.

An infrastructure revolution is propelling Africa’s growth.

We seek investments in the development of skills for Africa’s youth and the economic empowerment of its women.

In the health sector we would want the G20 to support the production of pharmaceutical products such as therapeutics and vaccines to deal with pandemics.

The digitisation of the continent to enhance trade and development is a key enabler.

Through its G20 Presidency, South Africa is well-positioned to advance global cooperation and build partnerships for growth and development.

South Africa has a rich history of inclusive dialogue and common action.

Over the last few years, the South African government has been working closely with social partners in business and in labour to address key national challenges and drive inclusive growth.

This cooperative culture and approach was taken to a higher level with the establishment of the Government of National Unity following the elections we held in May last year.

The Government of National Unity, made up of ten political parties, has been vital to stability and inclusive governance, and has contributed to greater interest among investors in South Africa’s economic prospects.

The seeds of human progress were sown in Africa.

In Africa, the earliest forms of cooperation were forged and developed.

As the leaders of the G20 return to Africa, we make a call that we all harness these essential capabilities that will make us take action to build a better and fairer world.

We intend that the G20 in Johannesburg this year should be a forum where cooperation and collaboration amongst the leading economies in the world will be taken to a higher level.

Acting together we should build an inclusive, just and equal world in which all may prosper, leaving no one and no country behind.

I look forward to welcoming you to the G20 in Johannesburg later this year.

Even if you do not participate in any of the 130 G20-related meetings, I invite you to come and see South Africa for yourself, the most beautiful country in the world.

I thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa 

JJ THABANE VERSUS DEAN MACPHERSON @KASIBCNEWS

JJ THABANE VERSUS DEAN MACPHERSON @KASIBCNEWS

The DA categorically rejects the allegations being made against Dean Macpherson, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, primarily by political consultant JJ Thabane, who moonlights as a media personality.

It is not just suspicious, but in fact entirely transparent, that these allegations come just as Macpherson is exposing, investigating and stopping serious corruption - including an R800-million scandal involving an oxygen tender awarded irregularly by the entity known as the Independent Development Trust (IDT) within his department.

IDT is an entity that has been unable to submit audited financials since August last year, and has now run out of money under shambolic leadership.

Minister Macpherson is doing the right thing by unearthing and investigating serious corruption, and by stopping the IDT deal. It is a new culture of corruption-busting, which is what the DA proudly brings to government when we come into office.

Getting in the way of irregular dealings to the value of R800-million will naturally make targets of those cleaning up, but we won’t be deterred at all. This smacks of the State Capture days when the pushback against exposure was a Bell Pottinger fight back campaign of personal attacks, bots and biased journalists.

As it was during the Bell Pottinger attack on South Africa, online bots syndicating and sharing one another’s false content are at play in this matter too, focussing on Macpherson but spreading identical false messages.

We note that the EFF has now opportunistically jumped to communicate on this matter too, seeking relevance as they continue to decline into irrelevance.

It is very telling that since Thabane has made his baseless claims, the journalist who first carried the story of Macpherson’s corruption-busting has publicly called out and contradicted Thabane.

The fight against entrenched, serious corruption is not easily won without the whistleblowers and those undoing the corruption being targeted by smear campaigns, death threats and every means of frustration.

The fight for the future of South Africa, free of corruption, with a rebuilt economy, growth and jobs, is worth every bit of false slander and personal defamation, because South Africa is more important. We will not relent, and the DA will not be intimidated or deterred.