While preparing to host ICA’s Global Conference and General Assembly, South Africa has started to explore how co-operatives can help boost economic growth and eradicate poverty across the country.
In March, The Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DETEA) along with the Department of Social Development and the Thabo Mofutsanyane District Municipality based in the Free State province of South Africa, hosted the Co-operative Expo in Phuthaditjhaba.
The Expo, themed “Co-operatives - the sustainable way of building Sustainable Economic Growth and Poverty Eradication”, took place on 12-13 March at the Charles Mopeli Stadium.
"Co-operatives are a critical component of government’s enterprise development strategy to both grow and increase participation in the economy and enable citizens to come up with self employment creation initiatives," said the Department's spokesperson, Thenjiwe Mbashe.
More than 543 co-operators attended the two-day expo, which sought to boost economic development across the Free State through co-operatives. The expo also aimed to help co-operatives to initiate innovative ideas in order to boost employment, whilst increasing awareness of the opportunities provided by this enterprise model. Co-operatives also showcased a wide range of products, from dairy to manufacturing.
Co-operative members taking part in the expo formed various commissions that sought to assess the current state of co-operative development and tried to emphasise how the province could make best use of co-operatives.
The Premier of the province, Ace Magashule, asked the Government officials to organise similar events across other districts of the province, seeking to establish co-op forums in each of the five districts of the Free State Province.
He said that through these five forums, he hoped co-operators would also be able to raise issues concerning co-operatives from their districts to the oversee departments of co-operatives in the Province.
Another special guest attending the event, Head of Department of DETEA, Ikhraam Osman, called upon co-operatives to create employment opportunities on their own and instead of depending upon the government’s support. He added that co-operative officials should play a key role in enabling this process.
The South African Government has recognised the key role co-operatives play in reducing poverty rates, creating jobs and boosting development and growing the co-operative sector across the Province is one of the key issues on the Government’s agenda.
Photo: Co-operative members taking part in the expo.
