MEDIA RELEASE
2025-03-26

SUMMARY: The Labour Party of South Africa (Labour Party) convened its first Local Rally in Emalahleni on Human Rights Day, marking the beginning of a national programme of community-based mobilisation ahead of the 2026/2027 Local Government Elections. The rally linked the historical struggle for political freedom with the ongoing struggle for economic justice, highlighting persistent poverty, inequality, crime, and service delivery failures. The Labour Party emphasised that while Human Rights Day commemorates past victories, the lived reality of millions reflects that the promises of the Constitution of South Africa, 1996 remain unfulfilled. 

The Labour Party convened its first Local Rally in Emalahleni, within the Nkangala District of Mpumalanga, on 21 March 2026, coinciding with Human Rights Day. This rally forms part of a broader national programme of Local Rallies aimed at engaging communities, consolidating organisational presence, and preparing for the 2026/2027 Local Government Elections. 

“This is not a symbolic gathering”, said interim President Joseph Mathunjwa. “This is the beginning of a national programme to take the Labour Party into communities, to listen, to organise, and to build a political vehicle for the working class that will contest power where it matters most – at local government level”, he added. 

Human Rights Day commemorates the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960, where 69 South Africans were killed while protesting pass laws. The Labour Party used the occasion to reflect not only on political freedom achieved in 1994, but also on the continued struggle for economic justice, drawing parallels with the Marikana Massacre, where 34 mineworkers were killed in 2012.

“We must confront a difficult truth”, Mathunjwa stated. “Political freedom was achieved, but economic freedom and human dignity remain out of reach for the majority. The struggle did not end in 1994 – it changed form”, he said. 

The rally in Emalahleni also served as a platform to assess local conditions, with a focus on service delivery challenges, economic hardship, and social instability affecting communities in the area. Emalahleni remains a strategic economic hub due to its coal production, yet many residents continue to face severe socio-economic pressures. 

“You cannot celebrate rights in theory while people are suffering in practice”, he said. “In Emalahleni, people are living with poverty, crime, and failing services. That is the reality we must confront honestly”, Mathunjwa added. 

According to available data, approximately 51% of Emalahleni’s population lives below the poverty line of R810 per month. The area continues to experience unreliable electricity supply, deteriorating infrastructure, and declining municipal services, despite its economic significance. 

“This is not just failure – it is injustice”, he said. “A town that powers the country cannot leave its own people in darkness, unemployment, and without dignity”, Mathunjwa added. 

The Labour Party further reflected on key constitutional rights in the context of lived realities. Concerns were raised regarding the right to life, the right to freedom and security of the person, and the right to human dignity, particularly in light of high crime levels and gender-based violence in the province. 

“What does the right to life mean when people are murdered daily?” he asked. “What does dignity mean when women live in fear and communities are unsafe? These are not abstract questions – they are lived experiences”, Mathunjwa said. 

A recent case involving a young disabled rape victim, supported by the Labour Party, was cited as an example of systemic failure to protect the most vulnerable members of society. 

“If we cannot protect the most vulnerable among us, then we must question what kind of society we have become”, he said. 

The Labour Party reiterated its position that there must be constitutional reform in order to address structural inequalities and give effect to meaningful socio-economic transformation. “It is no longer a consideration but a must, to have a constitutional reform if we are to transform South Africa”, contended Mathunjwa. 

“As long as our tolerance for failure remains high, nothing will change”, Mathunjwa stated. “We are dealing with a political culture where too many so-called leaders have become gatekeepers of opportunities instead of servants of the people”, he added. 

The Emalahleni rally marks the first in a series of Local Rallies to be convened across the country. These engagements are intended to strengthen grassroots organisation, gather community mandates, and identify leadership in preparation for the upcoming local government elections. 

“This is how real change begins – not in boardrooms, but in communities”, Mathunjwa said. “We are building a movement that will contest elections not for positions, but for transformation”, he added. 

Closing the rally, Mathunjwa delivered a call to action, urging communities to organise and participate actively in shaping local governance. 

“The struggle for dignity, justice, and equality continues”, he said. “It will be won when municipalities are run in the interests of communities, not politicians. That is what we are building, and that is what we will achieve”, Mathunjwa concluded. 

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