11 Feb 2025

Cooperative societies are an ideal model to diversify the rural economy and improve livelihoods.

Commenting on Minister of Finance, Mr Gaolathe Ndaba’s budget proposals presentation in Gaborone on Monday, Customary Court of Appeal president, Kgosi Mothibe Linchwe said it was important to resuscitate the spirit of self-reliance, encourage communities to come together to engage in upliftment of groups. 

Even though there was a challenge for members of the community to work in groups, he said it was important for them to establish cooperative societies such as Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOS).

Kgosi Mothibe highlighted that public officers who orgainsed themselves and formed SACCOS such as Motswedi, Thuto and many others in local authorities were now enjoying the benefits of such cooperatives. 

“Members were offered loans at affordable interest rates and therefore many of them were able to improve their lives and their growth was in the desired direction,” he said. 

He said the model of running cooperative societies was benchmarked in countries such as Kenya where SACCOS was doing well and contributing more to the livelihoods of people in rural areas.

“I encourage our people to follow such a model and do more to improve their lives rather than relying solely on government who was already burden by financial and resource constraints. There is a SACCOS named Hope which is doing well in Mochudi and that is why I am positive about these ideas of engaging in cooperatives,” he said

On the upliftment of vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, Kgosi Mothibe said they required diverse interventions as they had different needs.

He said financial institutions and other support structures must have packages aimed at supporting vulnerable groups.

Also, he said it important to identify and protect heritage sites and other cultural monuments.

He said the Bakgatla who were the custodians of bogwera and bojale much protect sites where such cultural practices were held for the benefit of the tribe.

He said it would be amiss for such heritage locations to only benefit a few, being the leadership of a tribe or a community. 

Kgosi Mothibe also appreciated that Mr Gaolathe touched on infrastructural development at dikgotla.

He said the Department of Tribal Administration was in dire need for its human resource to be empowered to improve the quality of service that was rendered to the people.

He said it was worth noting that the tribes were solely losing confidence in the leadership of dikgosi and therefore it was important for the traditional leaders through support of government to as a matter of urgency work on regaining the trust and confidence of the tribe and ensure that the bogosi was given the respect that it deserved.

“We must work on developing ourselves and demonstrate quality service,” he said. ENDS