BOFUS Urged To Recruit More Members
Bonte Seepi | Monday October 30, 2017 15:16
Speaking during the BOFUS elective Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was held over the weekend at the Majestic Five Hotel, an academic and mentor, Pangaman Tjinamano Kaisara urged BOFUS to recruit more members into the scheme saying that 11,000 is a small number considering the number of teachers in the country.
“It is your duty as the delegates to go out vigorously and invite other teachers to join the funeral scheme. Go out there and assist in recruiting more members.
It is going to be through your dedication that the scheme will flourish, and it will require your finances. If delegates can recruit more people, BOFUS will be able to sustain you,” said Kaisara.
He also warned the delegates about micro-lending saying it is a good thing, but on the other hand it can also not land people on the right path. He emphasised that educators need to be self-sufficient.
In addition, he said when BOFUS lend the delegates money, they must ensure that the money is returned for the scheme to continue.
Kaisara reminded the unionists that BOFUS wants to take care of its members so that they live well. He said therefore teachers need to work hard so that they die a dignified death.
He said funeral schemes are not for those who are about to die, but those who will live longer and die a dignified death. He also urged teachers to invest in real estate saying as they grow old their time and energy will get diminished hence they must prioritise. He also encouraged them to prepare well to avoid fights for their belongings once they die.
On his part, BOFUS outgoing chairperson, Moeti Mooketsi disclosed that as at March 2017 the membership of the scheme had remained the same with an insignificant decrease by only three members from the same period last year.
He said the stagnation is what the Board has been dealing with and it is anticipated that the report will be different next year as the statistics show that the membership is now around 11,000 as at the end of August 2017.
Furthermore, Mooketsi expressed happiness towards BOFUS saying it has opened its membership to the public by allowing continuation of subscriptions even after the departure of the principal member.
He said: “I am happy to announce that this has been taken aboard as there are some subscribers who have continued where the principal members had stopped. While this is a good gesture to avoid exclusion, it must be borne in mind that by so doing, BOFUS has in a way opened its membership to the public.”
The chairperson also disclosed that partnering with Liberty Life has also unlocked funds for other investment opportunities in the scheme. He said currently the scheme is operating in a market development space where the objective has been to increase the member benefits with minimum or zero premium increases.
He said if BOFUS needed growth, they ought to increase their business pulse by continuing to look for new frontiers to conquer. Mooketsi also warned members against excessive sending saying BOFUS wants to step financial literacy to BOSETU members.Kgosi Masego Olebile of Palapye applauded the unionists for setting up a funeral scheme for its members.
He said it is unfortunate that some people become paupers upon retirement and end up being buried by social workers as destitutes.