Cacadu Development Agency Wound Up After Years of Underperformance

The agency, which operated for over two decades, was closed as part of the district municipality’s drive for financial sustainability and more efficient service delivery.

All ongoing projects managed by the CDDA are being transferred either to the Sarah Baartman District Municipality or to the relevant local municipalities to ensure minimal disruption.

The municipality has assured stakeholders, partners, and project beneficiaries that a smooth transition is being prioritised and that development initiatives will continue under direct municipal oversight.

When the Cacadu District Development Agency was established, the development of Papiesfontein (a large piece of state land just outside Jeffreys Bay) was intended to be its flagship project.

The agency even maintained an office in Jeffreys Bay to drive this and other economic initiatives in the region.

However, the Papiesfontein project never took off. Over the years, it became plagued by prolonged delays, environmental controversies, and later on repeated illegal land invasions.

The site contains one of the last remaining fragments of critically endangered Humansdorp Shale Renosterveld vegetation, which sparked strong opposition from conservation groups.

Critics, including the Democratic Alliance, repeatedly pointed to chronic financial mismanagement, poor operational performance, and a failure to deliver meaningful job creation or economic growth as key reasons for the agency’s struggles.

These issues ultimately led to the decision to dissolve the CDA.

The closure marks the end of an entity that was once expected to play a major role in unlocking economic potential across the Sarah Baartman District but instead became associated with unfulfilled promises and financial strain.