- The Registrar of Labour Relations has issued a notice of intention to cancel the PSA's registration.
- According to the registrar, the PSA no longer meets the legal requirements needed to stay registered as a trade union.
- The PSA and interested parties have 60 days to submit written representations before a final decision is made.
The future of the Public Servants Association of South Africa (PSA), a registered trade union at the forefront of labour developments, has been thrown into uncertainty following a move by the Registrar of Labour Relations to cancel its registration.
The PSA is the largest, politically non-affiliated, fully representative union in the public service. With a proud history of more than a century of service to its members, the PSA represents more than 245,000 public-sector employees.
The notice, published in the Government Gazette on 29 June 2026, does not immediately cancel the union’s registration but starts a legal process that gives the PSA and other interested parties 60 days to make written representations before a final decision is taken.
Registrar issues notice of intention
Registrar of Labour Relations Lehlhonolono Molefe has formally begun the process to cancel the PSA’s registration in terms of Section 106(2B) of the Labour Relations Act.
In the notice, Molefe said, “I, Lelhonolo Molefe, Registrar of Labour Relations, hereby give notice of my intention to cancel the registration of the Public Servants Association of South Africa (PSA).”
The registrar said the proposed cancellation follows a finding that the organisation no longer complies with important requirements of the Labour Relations Act. According to the notice, the PSA is “not, or has ceased to function as, a genuine trade union as envisaged in the Act.”
The notice further states that the organisation cannot function in accordance with a constitution as required by the Labour Relations Act and has failed to comply with sections 98, 99 and 100 of the Act.
PSA has 60 days to respond
The publication of the notice does not mean the PSA has been deregistered. Instead, it marks the start of a statutory process during which the organisation and any other interested parties may submit written representations explaining why its registration should not be cancelled.
The registrar has invited written representations within 60 days of the publication of the notice. Only representations relating to the proposed cancellation will be considered.
Decision still pending
Once the 60-day period has expired, the Registrar of Labour Relations will consider all representations received before deciding whether the Public Servants Association’s registration should be cancelled or allowed to remain in force.
Until that decision is made, the notice represents a proposed cancellation rather than a final deregistration.
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