LIMPOPO TO HOST THE INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATIVES DAY CELEBRATIONS

LIMPOPO TO HOST THE INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATIVES DAY CELEBRATIONS

 By BRIAN KAJENGO

The newly-established Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) together with the Limpopo Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) and the South African National Apex Co-operative (SANACO) will host the International Co-operatives Day celebrations under the theme Co-operative Enterprises Achieve Sustainable Development for All. 

The event will take place in Polokwane on Saturday 5 July 2014. 

The Minister of Small Business Development, Ms Lindiwe Zulu says the objective of the International Co-operatives Day celebrations is to increase public awareness about co-operatives and their contributions to socio-economic development of communities in countries all over the world.

She said, “This year’s theme seeks to encourage the growth and the establishment of co-operatives all over the world, including encouraging communities, government and individuals to recognise the crucial role co-operatives can play to achieve the Millennium Development Goals as far as job creation and poverty alleviation are concerned.”

Zulu adds that the future of co-operatives looks bright with the new Co-operatives Amendment Act 6 of 2013 which seeks to strengthen co-operative governance, accountability and transparency, and to also establish co-operative institutions such as the Co-operatives Development Agency and the Co-operatives Tribunal.

“The establishment of these institutions will assist in streamlining support for co-operatives and ensure alignment across all three spheres of government,” states Zulu.

LEDET MEC Mr Seaparo Sekoati says the more than 1 500 co-operatives members from 700 co-operative enterprises who will descend on Polokwane from all over the country to celebrate the International Co-operatives Day will provide a perfect platform for the country to take stock of the road that has been travelled in an effort to put co-operatives in the mainstream of the country’s economy.

“The celebrations will also highlight the positive role co-operatives play in providing a network of opportunities among themselves and between them and members of the public aspiring to be co-operatives. With the support of the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) we are glad that the seventy five co-operatives from Limpopo and other provinces of the country who will be given a chance to exhibit their products and services during the celebrations will prominently showcase on a national platform what the country and in particular the Limpopo province has done to enhance the capacity, competitiveness and sustainability of our co-operatives,” says MEC Sekoati.

SANACO President Mr Lawrence Bale says co-operatives can be a significant catalyst to economic transformation and help South Africans to realise the full benefits of democracy.

“Co-operatives promote a diversified society advancement approach above profits. It is the role of SANACO to ensure that the business models of co-operatives responds effectively to challenges so that social and economic transformation is realised. The South African government encourages cooperatives to get involved in benefitting from the formal economy,” adds Bale

The celebrations preceded by a round-table session from 3-4 July 2014 wherein a co-operative charter expected to produced and the elective process towards the establishment of a single co-operative Apex body will discuss.   

The International Co-operatives Day is an annual event that celebrated by cooperatives around the world, to create awareness on the indispensable role cooperatives play in our communities.