Message from the board of Cape Town Partnership:
The board of the Cape Town Partnership (CTP) reviewed the work and impact of the organisation over the time of its establishment seventeen years ago. The relationship between the CTP and the City of Cape Town over that time yielded extraordinary benefits for Cape Town and its peoples. Recently, the City decided to no longer fund the CTP. The board has acknowledged this development.
Against the background of a significant legacy the board expressed its strong belief that the work of CTP as an institution remained valuable and relevant to urban practitioners, specifically those interested or involved in rescuing distressed central business districts (CBDs). This was deemed true for the Cape Town metropolitan area, which still has numerous CBDS in need of rescue, as well as areas in South Africa and Africa. Again, this is evidenced by the numerous requests for assistance from those urban practitioners, seeking to tap into the knowledge honed by the CTP over its seventeen years of experience.
The CTP model, which puts people at its centre, is both replicable and scalable. In this regard, the board has decided to apply its mind to the best and most sustainable ways the model could be developed further. Until then the CTP will streamline operations over the next three months as further thinking takes place regarding the future of a remarkable institution.
The contracts of all CTP staff have not been renewed. The board will be working with a small core of voluntary staff members, who will assist in figuring out the future. It is anticipated that a final decision of the future of the Cape Town Partnership will be decided and communicated by the end of October 2017.
: Cape Town Partnership Njabulo S Ndebele
