In just under 60 days, something that must be virtually without precedent may visit South Africa’s turbulent labour scene. Just as wage talks begin — in this case, in the platinum mining sector, a flashpoint of labour and community violence the past decade — the industry’s biggest union could legally vanish from the scene at the stroke of a pen.
The unfortunate thing for the department of labour is that Mathunjwa’s narrative of political victimisation does not sound far-fetched — even if Amcu does indeed have regulatory shortcomings. Its arch enemy in the shafts since its inception has been the ANC and Cosatu-aligned National Union of Mineworkers , which was forged in the crucible of the battle against apartheid by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
There have also been regulatory concerns in the past about the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union , which is Cosatu-aligned. When Crouse was registrar he launched a process to have the union deregistered, but was thwarted by labour minister Mildred Oliphant, who had him removed. Crouse was eventually reinstated after a lengthy court battle, but had reached retirement age by then.