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Key Partners
The scale of the intervention and the level of support which has taken
place in Cato Manor, both in capacity and financial terms, has been made
possible by a total public sector commitment of R514 million. Key funders
of the CMDP are the South African Government, the European Union (EU),
the Provincial Housing Department and the eThekwini Municipality. Earlier
phases of the project were supported by USAID and the Swedish International
Development Agency (SIDA), the Independent Development Trust (IDT) and
the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA).
Partnerships
Since its inception, the CMDA has placed a strong emphasis on building
effective partnerships with players in the public sector, the community
and the international arena.
Relationships with funders have grown beyond conventional
funder-recipient associations to become robust partnerships. Strong ties
have been established with a range of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs),
Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and Development Committees (DEVCO’s)
as well as with universities and technikons. The delivery of essential
services in Cato Manor has been streamlined through joint partnerships
with the police, welfare, housing, education and health departments. In
particular, public sector and community partnerships have seen community
safety and health care significantly boosted in the area.
The combined co-operation of these stakeholders has enabled the momentum
of the CMDP to continue, sometimes in the face of difficult circumstances
on the ground. Having stood the test of time, these partnerships represent
important foundations for the development process in Cato Manor to be
taken into the future.
Special Presidential Lead Project
In 1995, under the presidency of Nelson Mandela, the CMDP was accorded
the status of a Special Presidential Lead Project of the Reconstruction
and Development Programme (RDP). This designation and the associated injection
of funding marked a significant milestone in the course of the project.
European Union
In 1997 the CMDP received substantial funding from the EU as part of the
EU’s Programme for Reconstruction and Development in South Africa.
Sustainability and replicability are the main guiding principles behind
the EU’s investment in the CMDP, which covers direct financial participation
as well as the provision of a technical assistance team seconded to the
CMDA.
Community Partnership
The community is a crucial development partner and community participation
in governance has been crucial to success and sustainability. The Cato
Manor Community Organisation (CMCO) was established in 1999 as an umbrella
body to represent the interests of Cato Manor residents, to assist in
skills development and to work closely with the CMDA. The CMCO’s
main objectives are to systematise communications around development policy
and programmes; to identify potential problems and explore routes for
resolution; to develop local understanding of development issues; and
to strengthen inter-community communication and working relationships.
The CMCO consists of two representatives from each Cato Manor precinct
and elects six community members to the CMDA board. The particular interests
of the CMCO are reflected in six sub-committees: economic development
and education; health and welfare; safety and security; sport and culture;
and infrastructure (transport, electricity, water, housing, environment
and waste management).
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