Staff Writer
The government has struck close to 6000 societies from the official register in a sweeping deregistration exercise that has affected organisations ranging from churches and charities to business associations, professional bodies, sporting clubs and civil society groups.
The cancellations were effected by Registrar of Societies Ofentse Goajwang and published in the Government Gazette under the Societies Act (Cap 18:01).
The scale of the exercise stands out in the latest Gazette notice, which shows that while 2,240 societies were successfully registered, 5,796 were cancelled from the register.
The affected organisations span a broad cross-section of organised society, including churches, burial societies, sporting clubs, alumni associations, business associations, charities, civil society organisations, community-based organisations, cultural groups, farmers’ associations, music and entertainment organisations, religious societies, social clubs and professional associations.
Several well-known organisations appear on the cancellation list.
Among sporting organisations is Boteti Young Fighters, while business associations include the Botswana Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Botswana Institute of Business Analysis.
The civil society sector has also been affected, with Amnesty International Botswana among the cancelled societies.
The community-based organisation category includes the Botswana Football Supporters Association, Botswana Red Cross Society, Elephant Protection Society, Life Line Botswana and Lions Club of Gaborone.
Farmers’ organisations have also been affected, with Tuli Block Farmers Association among those listed.
The professional sector includes the Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana, Insurance Institute of Botswana, Medical and Dental Association of Botswana and Writers Association of Botswana.
The Registrar cited Section 11 of the Societies Act in the notice announcing the cancellations.
The legislation provides for the cancellation of registration in circumstances including changes to a society’s objects without the required consent, failure to provide requested financial information and breaches of written laws.
The Registrar is also required to cancel a society’s registration where the society or its office-bearers contravene provisions of the law.
The scale of the deregistration exercise raises questions about the extent to which registered societies have complied with statutory requirements governing their continued registration and reporting obligations.
For organisations affected by the cancellations, the immediate issue is what the removal from the register means for their legal status and ability to continue operating under their existing registration.
