On Friday, 1 May 2026 the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union “AMCU” gathered in numbers at the Wonderkop Stadium in Rustenburg.

Even though AMCU commemorated the internationally recognised May Day, it was by no means an act of betrayal to the standing demand to declare 16 August a national Workers Day!

Joseph Mathunjwa, President of AMCU, reminded the masses that the on 16 August 2012 thirty-four mineworkers were gunned down for demanding a living wage further calling the area a ‘crime-scene’.

The theme of his address: WORKERS ARE NOT CANNON FODDER FOR POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY was not just a slogan but a warning, declaration and a line in the sand!

“For too long, workers have been sacrificed for political agendas. Used when convenient. Discarded when no longer needed. Killed in the name of stability. Silenced in the name of progress.”