Boitumelo Molete, 34, is the social development policy coordinator for labour federation Cosatu. Among her many responsibilities is to lobby in Cosatu policy negotiations with the National Economic Development and Labour Council and government departments.
She has also represented Cosatu at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Conference of Parties (COP). Boitumelo develops material for Cosatu’s social development with regard to health, education, social security, climate change and the just energy transition. She coordinates research on climate change and adaptation and mitigation strategies, and the implementation of Cosatu’s climate change projects. Boitumelo said one of her challenges has been to navigate being a woman in a male-dominated environment — for example when she was running just energy transition worker education sessions with people from the coal-mining and fossil-fuel power stations. Boitumelo is proud of her work on the just energy transition project for Cosatu’s structures.
After workshops were held with the structures, they developed toolkits from the issues emerging from their particular structures. These toolkits will be used to assist Cosatu lobby for an inclusive just energy transition.
Just Transition Project for Cosatu Structures
The project began in November 2022. The Cosatu structures that were identified are the Gender, Cosatu Young Workers Forum, Organising and Education. Each structure concluded their workshops. Toolkits were established and form part of the enhancing of the position of the federation in relation to the just energy transition and how each structure can respond to the discourse with a specific focus on the issues emerging in their particular structures. The toolkits will assist the federation in lobbying for an inclusive just energy transition across sectors and structures. I am proud of having convened these structures so that they develop their own just energy transition position.
Lebogang Mulaisi is one of my mentors. As a young woman who, at her peak in the organisation which I work in, was the Head of the policy unit. She was key to where I am now, firstly as a young woman from Soweto, but also as someone whose career trajectory I followed closely. We co-lead Cosatu’s just energy transition programme, which resulted in a Just Transition Blueprint for workers being adopted at the highest decision-making body of the federation — the national congress. Lebogang, now the chief operations officer of the Presidential Climate Commission and a board member of the National Youth Development Agency, is a true inspiration and has been a great support to me, both in her professional and personal capacity.