Questions have emerged in Burundi over the management and financing of Sangwe cooperatives, structures created to support local economic development, amid criticism that they may be operating too closely with the ruling CNDD-FDD party.
The debate intensified after a document circulated on social media, reportedly issued by Alexandre Ngoragoze, the CNDD-FDD provincial secretary for Bujumbura province. The invitation called on leaders of Sangwe cooperative associations across all communes in Bujumbura to attend meetings this week for the evaluation of the cooperatives and the election of new governing bodies, a process also reported to be under way in other provinces.
A note attached to the invitation stated: “We ask communal party secretaries to mobilize those concerned and supervise this activity.”
The controversy comes as Burundi’s National Agency for Cooperative Societies (ANACOOP) has launched a nationwide initiative to reorganize and strengthen Sangwe cooperatives. According to information shared Wednesday by state broadcaster RTNB, ANACOOP began assessing the performance of the cooperatives on May 10, followed by leadership elections and training sessions for newly elected officials across the country’s communes.
Evrard Ndayikeje, Director General of ANACOOP, said the process aims to improve the functioning of cooperatives, enhance transparency in their management, and strengthen their role in community development.
He said newly elected leaders were chosen in line with a new law governing cooperative societies, adding that ongoing assessments suggest Sangwe cooperatives could become a key driver of local development and a source of economic and social opportunities.
Responding to concerns over state funds allocated to the cooperatives, Ndayikeje said it was still too early to draw conclusions about possible financial losses, as evaluations were ongoing. He added that authorities would take appropriate measures once the full assessment is completed.
Questions Over Funding and Political Influence
The issue has nonetheless drawn criticism from opposition and civil society groups, who argue that the cooperatives risk becoming politicized and drifting away from their intended development role.
Civil society organization PARCEM condemned what it described as the misuse of public funds through financing arrangements involving the cooperatives.At a press conference in Burundi’s economic capital Bujumbura on Tuesday, the group’s director Faustin Ndikumana said taxpayer money was being redirected toward structures he claimed were largely aligned with the ruling party.
“This is unprecedented. It has never happened before that taxpayers’ money is used to finance party cooperatives. It is a disgrace for the nation,” Ndikumana said.
Ndikumana further questioned national spending priorities, arguing that public funds were being allocated to cooperatives without adequate repayment, while essential sectors continued to face shortages.
He pointed to challenges in health and education, noting that medical staff and university lecturers remain underpaid, while recruitment in the education sector has lagged behind.
Opposition party FRODEBU also criticized the management of the cooperatives, saying in a statement posted on X that Sangwe structures should serve citizens rather than become political instruments, warning that the overlap between party, state, and local economic management threatens governance and social justice.
In a related development, concerns over the financial management of Sangwe cooperatives have also been raised at the local level.
In Ngozi commune in northern Burundi’s Butanyerera province, a local official responsible for monitoring cooperative activities, Sikubwabo Eric, said on Tuesday that the commune is owed approximately BIF 1.84 billion linked to government-backed loans issued to Sangwe cooperatives.
He called for the funds to be repaid as soon as possible to restore financial order and align with ongoing reforms.
Sikubwabo also criticized some local leaders, saying they had treated Sangwe cooperatives as personal ventures. He urged newly elected cooperative leaders to prioritize transparency and work toward sustainable community development.
The government and the ruling CNDD-FDD party had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of publication.
