What We DO
We are committed to building a vibrant, self-reliant and democratic burial society movement. The aims and objectives of the Federation/SAFOBS are:
To promote the concept and practice of burial societies by:
- coordinating training and education of the burial societies so as to strengthen their development and growth; and register them as co-operative burial society;
- conducting, coordinating and publishing information into matters affecting burial societies;
- Advocating for public policies, including appropriate legislation that advances the interests of the burial societies and their members.
To minimise the costs of funeral services by:
- using the bargaining power of the Federation to negotiate for reduced funeral price package or
- establish own funeral undertaking services, including coffin production and sale
- By designing and developing a micro insurance product for member burial societies.
- establish savings and credit for member burial society and its employers, and
- Promoting consumer education among member-burial societies.
To unite and build solidarity by:
- working to build unity of burial societies regardless of race, ethnicity or sex;
- encouraging residents and workers to form or join burial societies as effective associations of address their burial and other needs;
- Bringing comfort to members of the burial societies and their families during times of loss.
To encourage and build a tradition of community rooted and democratic member-controlled burial societies by:
- organising strong and effective operation of burial societies as the best guarantee of democratic member-burial society control;
- assisting burial societies in the same municipality or geographic area to organise into Branches to promote local socio-economic development through co-operative based projects;
- Ensure burial societies adhere to the Federation/SAFOBS Statement of Burial Society Values and Operating Principles as outlined in appendix A of this Constitution.
To support burial societies by:
- encouraging co-operation among burial societies at community, provincial and national levels;
- resolving disputes between burial societies and within the Federation/SAFOBS; and
- Instituting or defending legal proceedings affecting burial societies or the Federation/SAFOBS.
To co-ordinate joint economic and social activities of burial society by:
- organising savings, credit and insurance services on a co-operative basis;
- to have products that shall address all socio- economic issues of member burial society
- to cover the cost of funeral of all members of member burial society
- organizing bulk buying of consumer items on a co-operative basis;
- organising HIV-AIDS awareness programmes; and
- supporting any other economic or social projects approved member-burial societies and for their benefit and their communities
To manage finances and assets by:
- raising and acquiring funds by membership fees or by any other legal means in order to further these aims and objectives
To affiliate with or confer or enter into arrangements with the co-operative movement
And any social organisation or any organisation with the objective of securing joint action on any matter and where necessary to contribute to the financing of such joint action
