The Eastern Cape Department of Social Development (EC DSD) in partnership with the National Development Agency (NDA) will host a provincial Cooperative Summit at Mlungisi Community Hall in Stutterheim from 11 – 12 January 2018. The Summit is held deliberately early in the year as it aims to manage common compliance issues experienced by Cooperatives to improve operations going forward. Identified government stakeholders whose mandate is to assist Cooperatives will attend and respond directly to reports presented by 500 Cooperatives from all districts in the province on day one of the Summit. The Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, and MEC, Nancy Sihlwayi will attend and address the Cooperatives on day two of the Summit.

This Summit is in line with the Social Development ministry’s contribution to radical socio-economic transformation with specific focus on building the capacity of Cooperatives so that they can benefit from preferential procurement and contribute in local economic activities to improve income generation possibilities. The NDA and EC DSD partnership is already successfully procuring Social Relief of Distress (SRD) goods from Cooperatives throughout the Eastern Cape.

You are invited to interact and receive first hand feedback on progress and challenges from Cooperatives, receive information on provincial plans, opportunities and interventions going forward and formal response by political principals on service delivery of the Department related to Cooperatives as follows:

Date:  11-12 January 2018

Venue:  Mlungisi Hall, Stutterheim

Time:  10h00 – 16h00 (Day One) 

            09h00 – 15h00 (Day Two)

For more information, please contact: Nokulunga Skeyi on 072 602 7828 or Lesego Ranchu on 073 547 2800.