The Cooperative and Policy Alternative Center (COPAC) welcomes this opportunity to review the national Cooperatives Act 14 of 2005 and to participate in a national consultative process with other stakeholders. Our starting point for engaging this process recognises:
(1) the Cooperatives Act 2005 is generally progressive and takes on board most international principles and values that uphold the distinctive identity of cooperatives;
(2) research we have been doing and the learning acquired from cooperatives on the ground points to the need to improve on certain important aspects of our regulatory framework for cooperatives;
(3) improving government regulatory support for cooperatives also necessitates enhancing the overall policy-framework in which Cooperative legislation has to operate.
Cooperating for Transformation: Cooperative Case Studies from the Amathole District, Eastern Cape
This is a study of 20 cooperatives that have been in existence in the rural Eastern Cape. The case studies identify various factors limiting the growth and development of the cooperatives. Central in the regard is the role of the state.
Promoting the Solidarity Economy Movement at the Gauteng Consulative Conference of the Democratic Left
Date(s): 20 March, 2010 – 14:00
Location: WITS University
COPAC together with the Gauteng unemployed peoples movement and local community based cooperative movements will introduce the concept of the solidarity economy to the Conference of the Democratic Left. The panel on the Solidarity Economy will speak to case, approach and content of the solidarity economy alternative.
International Cooperative Experiences and Lessons for the Eastern Cape Cooperative Development Strategy: A Literature Review
This publication provides an important literature survey of cooperative experiences from different parts of the global South. It includes insights into cooperative development from Venezuela, Cuba and Ethiopia. Moreover, this review assesses the literature and experience of cooperative development in South Africa and makes recommendations for cooperative development strategy in the Eastern Cape.
Can Cooperatives Transform Street Trading?
Financing Transformation from Below: The Role of Cooperative Banking
Beyond Entrepreneurship: Cooperative Values and Practices in Education
Cooperative Entrepeneurship as an Expression of Cooperative Identity
Placing Worker Cooperatives on the Agenda: Opportunities and Challenges
Public Talk on Cooperatives and Development – Learning From Successful Cooperative Experiences From Africa
Location: Nohar Road Hall, Northdale, Pietermaritzburg
The city of Pietermaritzburg is the capital city of the Province of Kwazulu-Natal. Over the past few years the cities local economy has been in decline and many workers have lost their jobs through factory closures. Poverty is generally on the increase. A progressive local religious organisation is calling a public meeting to talk to these challenges. It has called on community organisations, charities, activists, and interested citizens to attend. The main speaker for the event will be the Executive Director of COPAC, Vishwas Satgar, who will share insights from COPAC’s current research focusing on successful cooperative experiences from Africa.
COPAC Submission to DTI Review of Cooperatives Act, No. 14, of 2005
The Cooperative and Policy Alternative Center (COPAC) welcomes this opportunity to review the national Cooperatives Act 14 of 2005 and to participate in a national consultative process with other stakeholders. Our starting point for engaging this process recognises:
(1) the Cooperatives Act 2005 is generally progressive and takes on board most international principles and values that uphold the distinctive identity of cooperatives;
(2) research we have been doing and the learning acquired from cooperatives on the ground points to the need to improve on certain important aspects of our regulatory framework for cooperatives;
(3) improving government regulatory support for cooperatives also necessitates enhancing the overall policy-framework in which Cooperative legislation has to operate.