The profiles are organised alphabetically by country then Union. If you are an educator in an ITF affiliated union please download and respond to the questionnaire at the end of this page.

South Africa

Name: Mojalefa Musi
Union: South African Transport & Allied Workers' Union (Satawu)
Position: National Education Officer since July 2004
History: Worked for SA Railway & Harbours Workers Union for 4 years and left just before the merger in 2000 (that formed SATAWU). I had been an educator for two years before I left.

I am now approximately 6, 05 years as an educator because I joined a trade union education institute called DITSELA (Development Institute of Training, Support and Education for Labour) where I  worked for 4 years. I was largely responsible for and trained in employment law, health and safety (including HIV-AIDS); organiser and leadership development.

Union Education Activities: We have been doing political education through our federation-COSATU looking at left and socialist thoughts in different countries and continents.

Areas of Interest: My training interests are: employment law (standards); health and safety training; the whole area of shop stewards, leadership development and gender training for male unionists.

Problems faced: The biggest challenge is the availability of human and financial resources. Firstly we have not had a consistent programme of education delivery since the inception of the union. This has underdeveloped our capacity to deliver on the scale required. At the same time, the resources required for this are far more than we can provide. There is fundraising challenge here!

Strengthening links: ‘Building the Educator Network’: It is a bit odd because many of the people are known to me. It might be useful for the Network to be brought together for an exchange on issues of mutual interest and then build linkages around programmes and perhaps exchange courses and workshop facilitation, do joint materials design and development etc. This will help us weave in the international solidarity theme into the work we do in different parts of the world.

Contact email: Mojalefa@satawu.org.za

Name Nomsa Mouquet Phakthi
Union: Transport and Allied workers Union of South Africa
History: I joined TAWU on the 01/07/87 as a national administrator for 5 years and then in 1992, I became the information officer for 4 years.

My work as an educator began in 1996 and I have been the national education officer for 9 years.

Areas of interest: My areas of interest are: socio-economic and political and labour law programmes. My union depends on our national centre NACTU for these programmes.

Union Activities: Problems faced It is the lack of human and financial resources. In our union education activities are not consistent due to lack of resources.

Strengthening links: By interacting with other educators from other countries, sharing expreinces and disseminating information in terms of strengths and weakness of our union education.

By strengthening the ITF Education Bulletin through sending of reports and information with regards to our union education and other activities.

Contact Email: nomsaphakati@yahoo.co.uk