COSATU

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) represents an area of on going exploration in my work. Cosatu officially emerged as a federation in 1985, bringing together various unions from around South Africa, and represents the largest organisation of its kind within the country. During the apartheid era, Cosatu played an important and influential role in the struggle for democracy. In 1994, Cosatu came into power as part of the Tripartite Alliance, with the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP). However, despite its success (and possibly partly due to it), Cosatu faces an increasing crisis. Traditionally a grass roots organisation, it has become increasingly alienated from its support base, while, at the same time, Government policy under the ANC has shifted away from Cosatu, resulting in a widening split within the alliance. It is within this crisis that I am interested in exploring what role this historically key organisation will play within the future, a subject that is central to my current work.