04 Aug 2016

The Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Mr Dikgang Makgalemele says government plays a pivotal role in finding solutions to unemployment.

Speaking during the handing over of Bonokopila Cooperative Society Registration Certificate to members in Kanye on Wednesday, Mr Makgalemele said government promoted skills through cooperatives.

He said cooperative societies existed in almost every country in the world and that they had played crucial roles to a range of human needs and aspirations.

He added that there were living examples of cooperatives contributing to economic and social development including here at home.

The assistant minister said the government developed the 2012 cooperatives transformation strategy as a way to revitalise the cooperatives movement and bring about better coordination and management within their operations.

He said opportunities were immense and that the services would not only be confined to just customers but would extend to beneficiaries of most of the government empowerment programmes.

‘’I appreciate your tenacity and determination as Bonokopila, no road to success is without pitfalls, I can say you are off to a good start because we have systems and programmes in place under the Department of Cooperatives to support your growth,” he said.

He encouraged them to take advantage of some of the various opportunities presented through government initiatives.

“If you are bold, you may fail. But if you are not bold, you will fail,’’ he reasoned, adding that entities as Bonokopila Cooperative Society was testimony to what taking up opportunities amidst adversity is.

He said it resonated with the ethos of the cooperative movement, of unity and team work with a common purpose; to achieve anything in life they needed to take a chance, he advised.

Earlier the chairperson of Bonokopila Mr Molefi Basutli said the idea of forming a cooperative society came after the closure of RIIC in Kanye whereby former employees gathered together to find other means. He said members contributed P15 000 each and they contacted Kanye North Member of Parliament Mr Patrick Ralotsia, Kgosi kgolo and the local council for assistance.

The chairperson of Kanye Administrative Authority KAA) Mr Tlhomamo Dibeela said cooperatives had developed many countries and created job opportunities. ENDS