Shared Values Unite a Co-operative School with Africa
Perhaps it is only in the Co-operative Movement that an alliance of shared values could be formed between former members of the armed wing of the African National Congress and school pupils in Staffordshire. But it is an alliance that is bringing hope and much-needed income to people in Southern Africa and also offering great encouragement and hope for the long-term success of the Movement. When around 30 former combatants of Umkhonto we Sizwe (the military wing of the ANC) and the Azanian People’s Liberation Army (the military wing of the Pan African Congress) decided to turn their focus to business creation they formed a workers’ co-operative called Tshepanang. Having had some success in selling their products locally, a meeting with Co-operative College opened up the international market and the Staffordshire link. The College facilitated the link between Tshepanang and Sir Thomas Boughey Co-operative Business College, one of the first co-operative business colleges in the country.
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