Sunday World reports that trade union federation Cosatu is treating the recent acquisition of the South African Petroleum Refineries (Sapref) by the Central Energy Fund (CEF) with caution. At least 800 people lost their jobs when the refinery, located in Durban, ceased operations in 2022.

Last month the CEF, a state-owned entity that reports to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), bought the refinery, raising hopes of job creation. “We are aware that the purchase agreement has been concluded. Cosatu believes this is good news for reviving the hundreds of jobs that were lost when the plant closed down. But we also want more discussions about beneficiation,” Edwin Mkhize, Cosatu’s general secretary in KwaZulu-Natal, said. He commented that workers should not be treated as spectators only good for providing their labour and forced to survive on salaries. “Workers must not be kept on the sidelines. They must be given a stake and be active players in the running of Sapref,” Mkhize insisted. The DMRE said the granular details of the sale, including the role of labour, was a work in progress. It explained that the acquisition augured well in respect of arresting SA’s declining refining capacity.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sandile Motha on page 13 of Sunday World of 23 June 2024

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