Zimbabwe Government in full support of cooperatives

Government says it fully supports cooperatives which are run in a transparent manner as these can be critical vehicles for socio-economic development, Zbc News reports.

The cooperative movement has for a long time been playing a critical role in broad-based economic empowerment through the pooling of resources for various projects. While government acknowledges the critical role the cooperatives play in socio- economic development, the sector has been under the spotlight for mismanagement, corruption and misappropriation of funds mainly by senior management.

Officially opening the training programme for members of cooperatives from various sectors in the capital, Vice President Joice Mujuru said transparency and accountability are key factors that contribute to the sustainable development of cooperatives.

Mujuru noted that training for cooperative members to run these sectors as business entities is important for the sector to play its role as a model for broad-based economic empowerment.

Small to Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development Minister, Sithembiso Nyoni said the co-operative movement is growing and plans are underway to open a co-operative bank if the sector is given adequate support.

The training session was conducted by experts from Kenya, a country which has a vibrant cooperative movement that is fully supported by government.

The Kenyan Assistant Minister of Cooperative Development and Marketing is leading a delegation of experts from that country. The event was attended by Zanu PF Harare Province Chairman Ambassador, Amos Midzi, government officials and members of cooperatives from various sector such as housing, agriculture and money savings clubs across the country.