04 Oct 2019

The role of cooperatives in the society is crucial in rural economic diversification and growth, Business Botswana chairperson, Mr Gobusamang Keebine has said.

Officiating at the Shoshong multi-purpose cooperative society gala dinner recently, Mr Keebine said given the economic disparity among individuals in the same community, cooperatives could be used to develop and bridge the gap.

“The revival of Shoshong Multi Cooperatives aims at restoring pride in the community through inclusive, reputable, honest and economically relevant and socially appropriate initiatives that will benefit not only the members, but also add onto the village development agenda,” said Mr Keebine. Mr Keebine said the theme for the event; Shoshong Constituency; Pride Restoration, was in line with the community’s efforts as they were striving to revive their fortunes and improving their livelihood.

He advised the community to take pride in some of the traditional practices that were aimed at empowering the nation through the spirit of self-reliance and other empowerment practices such as motshelo and mafisa. Mr Keebine said such practices were meant to bring the community together in fighting, among other challenges, poverty and hunger.

He called for active participation of the community as it was a critical element in the journey to improve livelihoods. Mr Keebine said the success of cooperatives was only possible with devoted involvement of the community.

He, therefore, encouraged members of the community to seek membership of cooperatives, buy shares and partake in any other activities aimed at generating revenue for the cooperatives.

Mr Keebine said the cooperative model was one of the oldest approaches aimed at developing the community. He said in the fourth industrial revolution, the survival of cooperatives would be heavily dependent on the knowledge of the society towards running them as reputable and successful enterprises.  He said the adoption of technology in the running of any business undertaking was crucial.

However, Mr Keebine cautioned members of the cooperative that the entrepreneurial journey was never a smooth sailing as it required determination to deal with deterrents in their journey to develop the community.

“Cooperatives are in a strong position to drive change and create wealth for communities,” he said, citing that communities in countries like Kenya were doing well through cooperative societies, hence the need for the community to benchmark with them.

Mr Keebine said reviving cooperatives was solely aimed at instilling a positive impact on the lives of the community.  In his remarks, acting Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development Mr Dikgang Makgalemele appreciated the support of Business Botswana in the revival of cooperatives. ENDS