SADTU CONGRATULATES COSATU ON ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY.
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) congratulates its labour federation, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) on its 40th anniversary. The Federation will mark this historic milestone of unwavering struggle, sacrifice, and triumph for the rights and dignity of workers at a celebratory rally in Soweto, Dobsonville Stadium on Saturday, 06 December 2025.
Born on 1 December 1985, in the dark days of apartheid, COSATU united workers across race, gender, and industry under one banner of solidarity and justice. It fought relentlessly to transform South Africa’s labour landscape — ensuring that today’s workers enjoy the protection of progressive laws such as the Labour Relations Act, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the National Minimum Wage Act.
COSATU was, and remains, far more than trade union movement. It was a pillar of the liberation struggle. It mobilised workers, challenged apartheid, and pushed for international sanctions until the dawn of democracy.
SADTU has every reason to be part of this momentous celebration. Our existence as a union is deeply intertwined with the history and struggle of COSATU. Following the Harare Unity Talks of 1988 which brought together racially and ethnically divided teacher associations, COSATU was entrusted with the task of uniting these organisations into one progressive, non-racial teachers’ union. The then COSATU General Secretary, Comrade Jay Naidoo, led that process with passion and revolutionary commitment, even chairing SADTU inaugural congress in 1990.
Through COSATU’s nurturing hands, SADTU was born in 1990, with just 30,000 members. Today, we stand strong with close to 280,000 organised, conscious, and resolute members. This is a testament to the solid foundation laid by our mother federation.
COSATU has walked side by side with SADTU in every campaign — from our fight to end austerity measures, to demanding the filling of vacant teaching posts, to fighting for safe and functional schools for all. Together, we continue to struggle for a public education system that truly serves the working class.
SADTU regards the 40th anniversary celebration as a time to honour our shared past and renew our commitment to the ongoing struggle against unemployment, inequality, privatisation, and gender-based violence. It is a time to affirm that the spirit of worker solidarity remains alive under the principle: “An injury to one is an injury to all.”
We recommit to building a just, democratic society where every worker – teacher, nurse, minor, cleaner, stands tall with dignity. We call on all workers, all communities, and all allies, to join COSATU in the moment of celebration, reflection, and renewal, to honour the sacrifices of those who came before us and to rekindle our revolutionary fire.
SADTU members will flood Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto on 6 December 2025. We will raise our banners high, sing our revolutionary songs, and celebrate the victories we have achieved through unity and struggle. But we will also remind ourselves that the war is not yet over. The fight for worker emancipation continues, and we must march forward with unity, courage, and determination. A strong COSATU means a strong working class.
May the 40th anniversary be a beacon of hope, a celebration of unity and a call to action for generations to come.
Amandla! An injury to one is an injury to all!
ISSUED BY: SADTU Secretariat