Co-Operatives Cultural Festival

Members of Hlengisizwe Co-op choosing a logo.
Hlengisizwe is a 40-member health co-operative
that has been launched to address the
poor state of health in Cato Manor.

If you have been wondering what co-operatives are all about, the Cultural Festival will be a good place for you to find out. On Saturday June 15, Cato Manor co-operatives are planning to hold a cultural festival.

The aim of the festival is to raise funds for the co-operatives, to unite them and to celebrate the culture of the people. There will be a Sangoma traditional dance, traditional dancing by the youth, and a king and queen of the co-operatives competition.

Song writers are also encouraged to put their creative minds to the test because there will be a competition for the best song of the co-operatives. The co-operative with the most attractive banner will be awarded a prize.

Traditional food and beer will be on sale. The savings clubs are also going to hold a flea market. The proposed venue for the festival is the Umkhumbane Multi-Purpose centre sportsfield. Entrance at the gate is R1 for children and R2 for adults.

The festival is an initiative of Two-Sticks Cultural Co-operative. The co-operative is named after an area which was part of the old vibrant Umkhumbane.

Houses under construction at Dunbar Road development

Fifty two housing units have been completed in the
second phase of construction at the North and
South Booth Road project.

Development of 1 316 housing units in the Dunbar informal settlement is still on track. Sixty local contractors have been recruited to fast track the construction of 144 units at the Booth Road housing project. This project is mainly for people who have to be relocated as a result of infrastructure that needs to be put in place before the construction of housing units commences in Dunbar.

To date 80 houses are under construction in Booth Road with most of them having been handed over for occupation by their owners. A slight delay to fully relocate people has been experienced as a result of community issues. A new housing committee chaired by the local councillor is working tirelessly to resolve some of the problems.

It is estimated that a total of 240 families will have to relocate to Booth Road.

Devru Construction has commenced with the construction of the loop road and sewer that will link Wiggins Road and Dunbar Road. Local contractors have been recruited to construct units at the Booth Road housing project. This is viewed as a training experience that will prepare them for the construction of the units in Dunbar.

"The participation of local contractors should be seen as a test of their abilities. So far most of them have come up well. We are anticipating using them when we start building units in Dunbar," said the project manager Lawrence Pato .

Building material suppliers are also recruited locally. The purchase of materials locally will benefit the project in that it will be delivered on time and at controlled prices. Contractors have applauded the move to purchase materials locally.

Workshops to keep the community abreast with developments are continuing. The sales administration process has begun. To avoid further delays residents are asked to be co-operative and come forward with the relevant information that will be required at any given time.

"So far it has been difficult to communicate with the community because they don’t turn up for meetings. It is understandable - too many meetings and promises have been made and broken but this time we mean business," said Lawrence, urging residents of Dunbar to attend meetings.

The Cato Crest Container Park is now fully occupied with most traders already doing business. The park is going to be under the management of the Cato Crest Development Co-operative. It is going to be the first project to be managed by a community organisation.
"Handing over the management of the park indicates the confidence that has been bestowed on us. But it is a test of our character as administrators. We relish the challenge," said Gladstone Gumbi of the Cato Crest Development Co-operative.
The co-operative is a subsidiary of the Cato Crest Small Business Association that is serving as a mother body to all the emerging businesses in Cato Crest
The construction of the park is an effort to boost the local economy and to encourage people to be involved in alleviating unemployment and poverty. Businesses located at the park range from shisa-nyama to cabinet makers.
To ensure that their participation is meaningful, the Community Development Department at CMDA has offered to provide a skills management training course. This is an effort to make the traders ready for the world of business which requires a certain level of business acumen.
"Most people who engage in business lack the skills and when the heat gets too much they quit because they are ill equipped," said COMDEV’s Boykie Khanyile.
Training will be provided by the Entrepreneurial Support Centre and will begin in June. ABI, the bottlers of Coca-Cola, has undertaken to be part of the project by providing a signboard and two storage containers and an ice plant. The Cato Crest Development will receive training on how to market ABI products.
However people who have secured business premises at the park but have not yet begun trading are advised to commence trading before the end of June or their contracts will be terminated. People who paid for electricity connections but did not secure business premises are advised to come for re-imbursement at CMDA offices, Intuthuko Junction, 750 Francois Road.