The Congress of South African Trade Unions marks its 40th anniversary with a celebratory rally taking place at Dobsonville Stadium. COSATU, founded at the height of apartheid, grew into a powerful voice for workers, driving national strikes, shaping labour policy, and championing key gains such as the minimum wage, gender equality, HIV treatment access, and major economic interventions, including support for Eskom and job-saving efforts. The union's milestone comes as the Tripartite Alliance faces increasing internal strife. The SACP has signalled plans to contest the 2026 local government elections independently, accusing the ANC of repeatedly failing to honour commitments to reconfigure the alliance. To look at the relevance and impact of trade unions in post-democratic South Africa, Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Mbhazima Shilowa, former premier of Gauteng and former general secretary of Cosatu