​Co-operatives to eradicate poverty

The Metropolitan Trading Company (MTC) in partnership with the Department of Economic Development (DED), held a workshop on the 21st February 2007 at the Braamfontein Recreation Centre. The purpose of the workshop was to assist cooperatives in the inner City that is already operational to improve their businesses.

The workshop participants share a common belief that co-ops are a practical solution in addressing the issue of unemployment and in achieving the goals of growth and development within the City of Johannesburg.

Some of the outcomes of this workshop are the following:

A common understanding developed amongst participants of a Cooperative, its founding and establishment well as how a Cooperative works;
Access to government opportunities through the Department of Trade and Industry cooperatives unit that will provide further training and funding through the Co-Operatives Incentive Scheme (CIS) for the development of the Cooperatives.
DED and MTC to give on –going support to the co-operatives through further training, mentorship and market linkage to opportunities within the City of Johannesburg.
Thandi Msibi, MTC Acting CEO says that cooperatives in the City will positively address poverty through job creation. "Government has made a commitment to halve unemployment by 2014 and through cooperatives, we shall be able to deal with the high unemployment rate in the City," she says.

Xolani Nxumalo, DED Project Consultant says the formalization of Cooperatives into businesses will ensure that more people move into the first economy. "The City has made a commitment to uplift the lives of our people and we continue to train and give sustainable support to the cooperatives," he says.

MTC and DED will be embarking on a campaign to get more people to establish cooperatives and further assist those cooperatives that are already in existence.

Ends.
For Further Information contact:
Nonhlanhla Makhoba
MTC Marketing Manager
Tel: (011) 833 73 44
Cell: 0836303116

Issued on behalf of Community Development by the Public Liaison Department:
Nthatisi Modingoane
Media Liaison Officer
CITY OF JOHANNESBURG
Tel: (011) 407 7354
Fax: 403 3494
Cell: 082 467 9228
E-mail: nthatisem@joburg.org.za