THE Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) takes stock of the political, social, and economic realities that affect their members.
This was revealed by Popcru president Thulani Ngwenya at the opening of the First National Political Workshop at Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni on Wednesday, 2 July.
"Our purpose here is grounded in the core of Popcru's historic mission to defend the rights and interests of our members, to contribute meaningfully to the transformation of the criminal justice system, and to advance the broader cause of working-class power in our country.
"But to do so effectively, we must sharpen our political clarity. This workshop is a platform for political education, a space where we challenge ourselves to interpret the balance of forces both domestically and internationally, and understand how they affect our struggles," said Ngwenya.
He said there's a need to interrogate the nature of the newly formed Government of National Unity (GNU).
"Is it a strategic vision for transformation, or is it a tactical retreat from the crisis of electoral decline?
"Let us not deceive ourselves. The GNU is not born out of ideological alignment. It's a marriage of electoral necessity.
"That does not make it wrong, but it means we must approach it with clear political eyes.
He said Popcru must assess whether the interests of workers are represented in the GNU.
"Are social wages, public sector reform, and workplace justice part of its programme? Or are we witnessing an elite consensus designed to stabilise capital and marginalise the working poor?
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"If it's to be a progressive platform, then organised labour must be vigilant and assertive. Otherwise, we risk being spectators in a theatre of elite compromise," said Ngwenya.
He said they want Popcru to be not just a union, but a political force.
"We must educate, organise, and mobilise not only for better wages, but for a better society.
"Let us emerge from this workshop with more than documents, with direction, courage and with unity of purpose," said Ngwenya.
South African Communist Party (SACP) spokesman Mbulelo Mandlana said they understand that Popcru is trying to finalise its political resolutions.
"All unions are of great concern for the Communist Party because the effectiveness and the unity of Cosatu are important to our party as the political party that is a leading political party speaking on behalf of the working class.
"To that end, the Communist Party joins this particular workshop to advance that vision to help workers clarify themselves about the important political decisions they want to take for their benefit," said Mandlana.
The three-day political workshop will lay the groundwork for Popcru's position ahead of the 2026 Local government election and Cosatu's Central Committee (CC) meeting to be held in September.
