B-METRO COMMENT: Co-operatives are the way to go

A co-operative is an autonomousA� association of people united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled business.

Co-operatives include non-profit community organisations and businesses that are owned and managed by the people who use their services (a consumer co-operative; by the people who work there), (a worker co-operative); by the people who live there (a housing co-operative ); hybrids such as workersa�� co-operatives that are also consumer co-operatives or credit unions; multi-stakeholder co-operatives such as those that bring together civil society and local actors to deliver community needs; and second and third tier co-operatives whose members are other co-operatives.

It was estimated that in 2012 approximately one billion people were members of at least one co-operative and that the turnover of the largest three hundred co-operatives in the world reached $2,2 trillionA� a�� which, if they were to be a country, it would make them the seventh largest.

In Zimbabwe, since 1980 at independence, the Government has been promoting co-operatives in various ways such as legislation, long-term basis for co-operative development through preparation of a Co-operative Policy Paper in 1983; and by establishing a separate ministry for co-operatives in 1986.

In 1980 about 60 percent of registered co-operatives took off the ground and became case studies for future set ups of that nature.

Today, there are more co-operatives coming alive as people find ways of employing themselves and everyone in need of a job in their rural communities.

This week B-Metro carries a story about Asithuthukeni Farmers Club from Insiza. Like most of such organisations, its name is pregnant with meaning a�� Asithuthukeni is an IsiNdebele word for a�?leta��s progressa�? or a�?leta��s have a better lifea�?.

Whata��s interesting about this organisation is that its members are women above retirement age a�� the stereotypical grannies that wait for financial support from their children and grandchildren.

But alas, these women do not wait for the local bus to come with goodies sent to them, instead, they are employers and respected farmers, thanks to their initiative.

From interacting with the women one can easily learn that successful co-operative enterprises transform a community by establishing economic democracy. .