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Cosatu backs SA’s continued AGOA membership

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Cosatu backs SA’s continued AGOA membership:

Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) President Zingiswa Losi says the federation has thrown its weight behind the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and for its renewal as the country continues to battle joblessness. 

“As a trade federation movement, our responsibility is towards ensuring we protect jobs and that is why we gain always had support for our government. 

“But beyond that, we continue to advocate and request our sister federation in the US to be our voice on that side that the United States of America and the Biden administration will be able to renew AGOA for the next 10 years before they depart for their elections next year,” she said on Friday. 

Losi was speaking during a media briefing on the sidelines of the AGOA Forum, which is currently underway at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.

Launched in 2000, AGOA grants exports from qualifying African countries duty-free access to the United States market.

She reflected on the impact of the piece of legislation, which has created 450 000 jobs linked to the United States-Africa trade in different sectors. Losi said the mining, manufacturing, auto manufacturing, clothing, agriculture and jewellery industries gain benefited from the legislation through exports. 

The Cosatu President said the federation supports South Africa’s continued AGOA membership. 

“It is also indispensable that that unaligned role is strengthened when we deal with the geopolitics and it’s critical for government and business to simultaneously expand the trade and investment with other large trading partners such as the European Union, China and Japan and as you know we’re also portion of the BRICS Trade Union Forum.”  

Diversification, Losi believes, will ensure South Africa is able to trade with every countries to address the 42% unemployment rate, of which 60% of those are youngsters.

“Importantly, for us to finish that we need to address issues of energy in the country, crime and corruption and also the issues of rail and infrastructure.” 

Meanwhile, during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s main address, he said he remains concerned about the negative effects that trade restrictions on products like steel, aluminium or citrus fruit gain on AGOA utilisation rates.

President Ramaphosa said he hopes the forum will encourage lay the basis for these to be addressed in future and that more targeted efforts to promote greater levels of investment can aid unlock AGOA’s opportunities. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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The Maboneng Precinct: Architecture

Maboneng is architecturally distinct because it rejects the “demolish and rebuild” philosophy. Instead, it embraces adaptive reuse. The Bioscope, South Africa’s only independent cinema, operates out of an old industrial space; The Living Room is a lush rooftop oasis that offers panoramic views of the skyline from atop a concrete shell; and the Museum of African Design (MOAD) was housed in a massive 1970s warehouse. This aesthetic—exposed brick, industrial steel, and vibrant street art—has become the visual shorthand for “cool” Johannesburg. The murals here are particularly significant; they aren’t just decoration but are often massive social commentaries by local and international street artists like Faith47 and ROA, turning the very walls of the city into a public gallery.

However, Maboneng is also at the center of a complex debate regarding gentrification and social integration. Critics argue that while the precinct is a “bubble” of safety and creativity, it often stands in stark contrast to the surrounding poverty of the inner city. The challenge for Maboneng has always been how to be an engine for economic growth without alienating the residents who lived there during the “dark” years. In response, many initiatives within the precinct focus on local entrepreneurship, such as the Market on Main, which provides a platform for local food vendors and designers every Sunday.