The Public Servants’ Association of South Africa risks losing its registered status following a government notice issued last week.
A Government Gazette notice published on 29 June 2026 states that the Registrar of Labour Relations intends to cancel the PSA’s registration. The notice gives the union and interested parties 60 days to submit representations. Registrar Lehlohonolo Molefe cited three reasons: the organisation is not a genuine trade union under the Labour Relations Act, it cannot function according to a constitution as required by the Act, and it has failed to comply with sections 98, 99 and 100.
The notice follows an April judgment by the Labour Appeal Court. The court upheld the Registrar’s earlier decision to reject the PSA’s amended constitution, ruling that the document submitted was in substance the statute of a non-profit company rather than a trade union constitution compliant with the Act.
PSA president Matimba Justice Shiburi was appointed to the Public Investment Corporation board in September 2025 as the union’s representative for a three-year term. The PSA remains registered for now, and Shiburi continues to serve on the board.