28 Sep 2016

Umbrella bodies for civil societies have been urged to coordinate and ensure civil societies work together.

A representative from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) council, Mr Jerry Moloko, said in an interview that lack of coordination has resulted in mushrooming of some organisations hence duplication of services. He said the umbrella bodies should align the organisation affiliated to them and ensure they complement one another noting that they had realized a lot of gaps which need to be covered.

“We are divided and yet we are serving one customer. I believe we cannot be competitors in the same job hence alignment needed,” he added. He said for them to be recognized, they need to collaborate and discuss critical issues with one voice. Mr Moloko said most of the time they work in isolation and yet they want have seasonal players who could fully engage the government.

He said although they should not compromise their services but emphasized the need for civil societies to position themselves strategically in order to continue to sustainably deliver on their mandates.

He said civil societies are agents of change, but their ability to effect change rests on their independence, self-sustenance, self-regulation and their ability to hold independent opinions that influence policy formation and advocate for change or amendment of laws. Mr Moloko also urged the organizations to seek improved ways of strengthening partnerships with all sectors of the economy for a more efficient and effective public administration and delivery of services to Batswana.

They are encouraged  to explore new opportunities that would enable them to provide quality services that would benefit the nation as expected. 

However, he said the establishment of the NGO’s council is a step in the right direction. 

Botswana has many NGOs involved in all sectors of development and the establishment of the council was meant to promotes and coordinate NGOs and build capacity among its members including individual bodies. ENDS