Cosatu intensifies its election campaign ahead of municipal polls

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) says it is intensifying its election campaign and mobilisation ahead of the local government elections on November 4.

The federation says the campaign is guided by the resolutions of the federation’s 15th National Congress to support both the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP).

Cosatu has emphasised that its responsibility is to ensure that workers’ voices are heard in determining the direction of local government and the broader development path of the country.

It has repeated its commitment to championing the interests of workers, strengthening the political independence of the working class and advancing the struggle for socialism.

Addressing a post-congress media briefing in Johannesburg, the newly appointed General Secretary Zingiswa Losi says the federation will pursue the reconfiguration and renewal of the tripartite alliance through structured political engagement and an alliance political council.

“Cosatu will also advance a working-class electoral strategy that places the material interests of workers at its centre. In the context of the 2026 local government elections, the federation’s congress mandate calls for principled support for the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP), with the objective of strengthening working-class unity and advancing a programme that responds to workers’ demands,” adds Losi.

The union federation has called on its affiliates, shop stewards, organisers and members to mobilise workers and communities around a programme that prioritises employment creation, reliable public services and accountable municipalities, and affordable basic services.

Losi says, “The campaign will emphasise that elections must serve as an instrument for advancing the interests of workers and poor communities. Political support must be principled and linked to a clear working-class programme rather than treated as an unconditional mandate for any political formation. Cosatu believes that electoral participation must contribute to building working-class power and advancing meaningful social and economic transformation,” explains Losi.

Cosatu has argued that the challenges facing the working class demand a united, militant, and politically conscious trade union movement.