CO-OPERATIVES CAN HELP US DEFEAT POVERTY - MINISTER ZULU

CO-OPERATIVES CAN HELP US DEFEAT POVERTY - MINISTER ZULU

 By BRIAN KAJENGO

Co-operatives contribute to the empowerment of poor and marginalised people and in pushing back the frontiers of poverty, unemployment and inequality. This said over the weekend by the Minister of Small Business Development at the celebration of the International Co-operative Day held in Polokwane, Limpopo.

“Co-operatives are catalysts for economic growth and sustainable development for disadvantaged, vulnerable, and marginalised communities as well as those with limited resource capabilities. The sustainability of these enterprises contributes to poverty alleviation, giving poor people the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty and its associated forms of deprivation.” said Minister Zulu.

In 1995, the United Nations resolved to designate the first week of July as a period to celebrate the International Day of Co-operatives. Since, then, all signatories to the International Labour Organisation Recommendation 193 committed themselves to celebrate and recognise the role that co-operatives play in the social and economic development of their respective countries.

Co-operatives are important economic players. The top 300 co-operative enterprises constitute the 9th largest economy in the world and they operate in some of the most competitive industries such as banking, insurance, agriculture, retail, health, utilities and others. These top 300 enterprises altogether are worth 1.6 trillion US dollars.

“Co-operatives enable people to easily access business and work opportunities, raise savings and extend education and training not only to them, but also to the local communities in which they are operating,” explained Minister Zulu.  Minister Zulu said co-operatives held some of the answers to the pressing socio-economic challenges that confront communities.

Minister Zulu said that co-operatives are an example of the spirit of vuk’uzenzele.

“They are, by their very nature, about initiative and self-reliance. Many of our successful co-operatives are an example of how much we can achieve if we seize the opportunities brought by our democracy and freedom to create a better life for themselves and their fellow citizens. We have a responsibility to take our destiny into our own hands.” Minister said.

“Co-operatives are at the centre of the much-needed village and township economic revival. With the support of government, we must ensure that the services and goods consumed in townships and villages are produced by men and women from those townships and villages,” she said, adding that her Ministry was determined to create an enabling environment for the development and growth of co-operatives.

The Minister noted that while progress registered in the area of cooperatives development and growth, there are still challenges that need to address.

 “Financial and non-financial support given to co-operatives still remains scattered thus making it difficult for co-operatives to effectively access such support easier and much quicker on a wider scale. We are determined to address these challenges.”

The Ministry stands ready to work with all stakeholders to take the cooperative movement forward. She said her Ministry will focus on creating an enabling environment for the development and growth of cooperatives in South Africa.