Farmwork for Co-operatives

ANDREAS PELTZER WRITES: Co-operatives face a strange life in the Namibian economy. They are mentioned in all major policy documents (Art. 98 Constitution, Vision 2030, Harambee Prosperity Plan). There is an Act 23 from 1996 and a Namibia Co-operative Policy from 2017. The latter acknowledges the “slow start since Independence, mainly due to low entrepreneurial skills”. Only about 140 co-operatives exist as a going concern. Co-operatives are of utmost importance to social development. They currently experience a revival in the communal green energy sector. To develop its full potential, a co-operative may not be seen as a quasi-business. In ethical terms, its most important feature is the sharing of responsibility among its members. This responsibility has to be limited to its scope of operations and the capacity of its members. In economic terms, a co-operative is not profit- but purpose-driven. The establishment of a co-operative should not be compared to that of an SME. The members and the purpose need to be protected. A Chamber of Co-operatives with obligatory membership should be established in order to monitor the founding and the going concern. This Chamber advises its members and protect creditors. A Co-operative Bank should serve the special needs of its clients, who are members at the same time. The bank can be insured against cumulative risks. The Co-operative Act should be revised to establish a true pillar of a social economy. Informal traders, small-scale farmers, vocational centres, cash loans, energy or healthcare initiatives, as well as digital initiatives may come under the roof of a protecting co-operative. Private (financial) issues no longer affect the ongoing business operation. The community receives a continuous service from its co-operatives. Being part of a national network prevents insolvency to levels below the rate normal in the business world. From an ethical point of view co-operatives address one of the most pressing issues of economic activity: They guarantee personal involvement and responsibility. In socio-ethical terms they are most valuable as they link subsidiarity and solidarity independent from the state. Co-operatives can be successful independently if they are part of a big family with simple but strong rules. In ten years, half of the adult population in Namibia could be member of a service co-operative active within their local environment!* Rubrieke, meningstukke, briewe en SMS’e deur lesers en meningvormers weerspieël nie noodwendig die siening van Republikein of Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) nie. As mediahuis onderskryf NMH die etiese kode vir Namibiese media, soos toegepas deur die Media-ombudsman.

Farmwork for Co-operatives

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Republikein 2025-04-18

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Farmwork for Co-operatives

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