Changing the Constitution of the Co-operative
As long as any changes to your constitution follow the Co-operatives Act and the principles of a Co-operative, you may change your constitution to suit your own requirements.
You may only change your constitution by taking a special resolution (decision), which is a decision taken by at least two-thirds of the members present at a general meeting.
- The constitution of a Co-operative can set a higher majority for a special resolution if the members wish to do so.
- The year-end may only change once annually by a maximum of six months earlier or later.
- Members need to be informed that they are required to vote on the proposed change, so you need to send them a notice in advance about the meeting and the proposed change that will be voted on.
- The Co-operative must then submit the special resolution to the Registrar of Co-operatives so that their original constitution can be changed accordingly. You do this by paying the required fee, completing Form CO-OP 6.1 and sending it to the CIPC.
- The Registrar must register the change to your constitution, provided that it follows the Co-operatives Act and the Co-operatives principles and provided that your Co-operative has followed the correct procedure for making changes.
To change the Constitution of the Co-operative
To change the financial year-end of co-operative follow the steps below:
- Register as a Customer
For information on how to register as a customer see below
You may also follow a step-by-step guide.
To register as a customer for conversion and maintenance of a co-operative click here
If you are already registered as a customer and know your customer code and password, proceed to step 2.
- Deposit funds
Deposit R17.50 per clause of the co-operative constitution that you would like to change, for the bank account details, click here. Use your customer code as a reference when depositing funds into the CIPC account.
Apply for a change to the co-operatives constitution:
Complete and e-mail the completed and signed documents together with supporting information
The following supporting documents must be included in your e-mail:
- Print and complete form CO-OP 6
- The original written resolution or statement of consent to the name change signed by all members of the co-operative
- Certified identity copy of the chairperson of the meeting
- Power of attorney (if applicable)
E-mail :
NB: Lodgement of a passport copy is only accepted as proof of identity for non-residents of South Africa. For South African residents a green bar-coded/ smart ID copy must be lodged.
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