Freedom fighter and labor organizer uniting workers as a force for liberation

Jay Naidoo’s role in the liberation struggle was primarily as the founding general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). He worked to mobilize workers against apartheid and to create a unified labor movement, which played a critical role in the Mass Democratic Movement. Naidoo had a close working relationship with Nelson Mandela, who later appointed him as a cabinet minister in the first post-apartheid government, entrusting him with the Reconstruction and Development Programme. Naidoo’s activism was shaped by his own experiences and his close relationship with his mother, who taught him about equality and humanity.