In a stark warning, the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) has described the country’s escalating job losses as a “national catastrophe” and a “pandemic on its own,” accusing the government of having no answers.
The statement from SAFTU President Zwelinzima Vavi comes amid recent announcements of major job cuts, including over 680 positions at Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa. Vavi highlighted that these cuts are part of a broader trend affecting the automobile, mining, and manufacturing sectors.
Vavi framed the crisis against the backdrop of South Africa’s official unemployment rate, which he stated has reached 43 percent. He emphasized the severity of the situation by noting that eight of the country’s nine provinces have unemployment rates exceeding 40 percent.
“This is a national catastrophe,” Vavi stated. “It’s a pandemic on its own and this government doesn’t seem to have an answer. The government of national unity in particular, as we have warned.”
In response to the crisis, SAFTU announced it is establishing a Central Task Team. This team will meet with civic allies to prepare for a working-class summit aimed at addressing the wave of job losses. Vavi called for a broad alliance, urging workers, unions, and communities to unite against what he termed interconnected crises of job losses, hunger, and lack of access to water, housing, and healthcare.
“Only a united working class, broader than the trade union movement, has the potential and a possibility of shaking the system,” Vavi said. He argued that only by uniting workplace struggles with community struggles can there be a effective response to “austerity, the crisis of capitalism, and the current carnage of job losses.”
In a separate but related development, a SAFTU-affiliated union, the Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union (YNITU), has been placed under administration. This action follows findings of financial misconduct by its former leader, Lerato Mthunzi.
A spokesperson for YNITU confirmed that measures have been implemented to prevent a recurrence, including the appointment of an administrator to reform financial controls and rebuild the organization. The union also stated that once funds are recovered, Mthunzi will face criminal charges. The spokesperson affirmed that the steps taken are designed to ensure future leadership cannot mismanage union funds for personal gain.