11 Jun 2019

Societies, clubs and associations have been urged to submit annual returns as stipulated in the Societies Act.

The call was made by the Registrar of Societies chief administration officer, Mr Eric Ditau at Mahalapye during a meeting held by the Department of Civil and National Registration to address societies on non-compliance, recently.

Mr Ditau said the department had been lenient but non-compliance    compelled the office to follow the law as stipulated by the act governing their conduct and operation.

Mr Ditau informed the meeting that annual returns informed the registrar of societies as the governing body of active and inactive organisations.

He warned them against engaging in dubious and criminal acts such as money laundering, a rising phenomenon associated with societies.

Societies, he said should stick to what they were licensed to do and avoid temptations likely to corrupt their existence.

Mr Ditau said societies across the globe were targeted as an exit route for money obtained through criminal acts and as such impacted negatively on the economy of a country.

He cautioned religious groups to avoid being funded by terrorist bodies.

“When you send money outside the country, do so cautiously and follow traceable channels to avoid exchanging funds with terror organs,” he warned.

Meanwhile, assistant director societies, Mr Phodiso Mokgethe said between 2017 and 2018, 73 societies were cancelled on the basis of non-compliance. ENDS