The collection relates to a number of Trade Unions in South Africa, amongst others the Federation of South African Trade Unions (FOSATU) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). Other trade unions represented are the Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers' Union of S.A., Metal and Allied Workers' Union, National Automobile and Allied Workers' Union, Paper, Wood and Allied Workers' Union, South African Railway and Harbour Workers' Union, Sweet Food and Allied Workers' Union and Transport and General Workers' Union.

The initial part of the collection contains material which had been rescued from Khotso House after the bomb blast in August 1988. In 2012 the larger part of the collection was received and incorporated.

This collection consists of an Honours thesis with research notes and source material including papers, press cuttings, interviews etc. It deals with the 1980s crisis in Alexandra Township, the collapse of local government and the shift in control brought about by new urbanisation strategies.

Included are a draft of his last work Memoirs of Priscilla, Countess Whopper, published in 1932, and transcripts of several of his short stories, plays and sketches, with parts of the original Mss; several English play-bills, bills, programmes, tickets etc. for plays and sketches produced by Cohen in London. Also a volume of clippings from The Winning Post, London, 12 April -15 November 1913, in which Reminiscences of Johannesburg first appeared, and a bound volume of The Winning Post edited by R.S.Sievier 7 August 1907 - 8 August 1908 (plus some odd numbers); 9 editions of Tit-Bits, London, containing his memoir The magic and madness of diamonds and gold. Scrap-books include a volume of press clippings, Gems from Johannesburg history, 1912, a volume of clippings on the death of Barney Barnato, June 1897, and an album of clippings concerning the charge of perjury brought by Sir Joseph Robinson against Cohen in 1914. The correspondence includes a letter to S.B.Joel dated 1899, a reply from Joels attorneys threatening prosecution for libel and Cohens reply. Names of other correspondents include Sir A.Conan Doyle, Sir David Harris, John Hay, S.H.van Diggelen; letters from Cohen to J.G.Gubbins who purchased the collection. Also photographs of Cohen, 6 postcard photographs of Benoni in the early days, legal documents, press notices of Cohens works and other miscellaneous papers.

These records were collected by the Urban Removals and Homelessness Group of the Black Sash and by the Community Research and Information Network, Wilgespruit Fellowship Centre. They include case files, papers, articles, reports, correspondence, notes, court records, press cuttings and maps relating to homelessness, squatting, land matters and urbanisation in the PWV area from 1986-1992.