Border Rural Committee

BRC’s project work is arranged in ‘clusters’. There are currently three clusters of work, namely, the Vulamasango Singene campaign, Cata and Keiskammahoek. Relating these clusters to our mission, the campaign is being waged to ‘advocate for enhanced resource flows into the former homelands’, and in committing to the Cata and Keiskammahoek processes we are hoping to ‘manage and facilitate pro-poor development’. Furthermore, we have planned our work in these three clusters such that we ‘achieve policy impact’. Not only do these three clusters fit neatly within the strategic plan, they are also mutually reinforcing. For example, achievement in Cata boosts the work in Keiskammahoek and the campaign.

The principal manner in which BRC advocates for enhanced resource flows into the former homelands is through implementing this campaign.

If successful, the campaign will pave the way for the channelling of public resources amounting to R12 billion into the rural areas of the Eastern Cape, for development. (These are resources that otherwise, will not come to the former Ciskei and Transkei.) Tremendous gains have already been made towards securing government’s commitment in this regard.

A prerequisite for the realisation of BRC’s vision of rights’ based rural development is the securing of adequate public resources at village level. In the case of the nine Keiskammahoek restitution villages whose claims were settled on 16 June 2002, this condition has been met. The key challenges are therefore to realise the potentials that exist through integrated planning and implementation, and to build capacity in each village to take charge of these processes. Furthermore, at a broader level, BRC advocates for policy changes aimed at enhancing the ability of local government to fulfil its constitutional mandate to promote local development.

In many ways, the village of Cata is our flagship. It was the first betterment restitution claim to be settled (in October 2000).

It is a model of integrated rural develop-ment, using resources which were secured through the realisation of the rights of the people of Cata.

There are a range of rural development projects, all managed through the Cata Communal Property Association - forestry, agriculture, tourism, infrastructure…