Economic Empowerment
The Swaziland Chapter of the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce Industry’s first assignment will be to assist in organising the first ever women’s conference in the SADC region.
This was announced by Women’s Chamber of Commerce in South Africa President, Hellen Kentse Makgae during the Swaziland Chapter launch.
NAFCOC operates throughout seven provinces across South Africa and has over 10 000 members. Makgae was confident that membership of the organisation would increase immensely following the launch held on Saturday at Royal Villas Resort on Saturday afternoon. The ceremony was later concluded at a dinner held at Lugogo Sun in the evening.
The women’s organisation has different divisions including; hawkers, manufacturers, transport, agriculture, safety and mining among others. “One of the goals of the organisation is to launch divisions in all SADC countries and host the SADC women’s conference in 2012. Therefore, I would like to challenge Swazi women to help fast track full participation of the Swazi chapter towards making sure we achieve our goal,” said Makgae.
The SADC women’s conference was slated for September 2012, if all goes according to plan. The theme will be; ‘Rural Development in Africa’.
According to the president, the theme was selected to benefit women from all sectors of the society. During the same event, Makgae also pledged unlimited support towards the establishment of the Women’s Development Bank and challenged Swazi women to take more leadership roles.
‘Only Swazis will delay women’s bank’
NAFCOC President Hellen Kentse Makgae said establishment of the Women’s development bank could only be delayed by Swazis; otherwise NAFCOC (SA) was ready to issue E50 million capital anytime.
The South African division of the women’s chamber of commerce last Saturday pledged capital to establish the women’s development bank at the an event held at the Royal Villas.
“I am glad to announce that we are ready to finance establishment of the Women’s development bank anytime from now.
“It would only be Swazis who would delay the paperwork, otherwise we are ready to release the money with intent to fast track the establishment,” said Makgae.
Forerunners of the bank’s establishment are Swaziland Women Economic Empowerment Trust (SWEET). The idea is a brainchild of Her Majesty the queen Mother.
Notably, SWEET Vice-Chairperson Phindile Weatherson announced during the launch that preparations towards the establishment of the bank were at an advanced stage. Lubombo and Shiselweni Tinkhundla centres have been visited to sensitise the chiefs, their wives and the rest of the community on the initiative. “The news of the E50 million pledge is sweet news and I am glad the Queen mother has been informed about the good news too.
I am confident that we will try to meet the deadline and establish the bank which will benefit women for the better,” said Weatherson.
Weatherson further emphasised that they would embark on a vigorous training exercise on how the bank would operate and also empower Swazi women for the better.
Bank to end women’s banking woes
Establishment of the Women’s Development Bank is hoped to end women’s’ banking woes in the country.
This is according to the project’s proposal for funding issued by the Swaziland Women’s Economic Empowerment (SWEET).
The proposal quotes various studies to attest on efficiency of the initiative to establish the women’s bank. “The main objective of this project is to establish a fund/bank to empower women and improve their welfare and access to finance.
tasked
As stated during our discussion, Her Majesty the Queen Mother, who is patron for all social sector agenda issues in Swaziland and this initiative, has tasked us as a steering committee to find ways and means to establish a bank that will cater for the needs of Swazi women at grass-root level,” reads the proposal.
In the document, SWEET further requests assistance in identifying organisations to finance the seed capital to establish the bank.