Cato Manor Heritage Centre
The Cato Manor Heritage Centre chronicles the history of the area…
Cato Manor is named after Durban’s first Mayor, George Christopher Cato. The area was granted to George Cato in the 19th century. In the early 1900s land was leased to Indian market gardeners and shacks occupied by black Africans began to appear.
During the 20th century Cato Manor was a place in turmoil and after the 1949 riots most Indian residents left the area. In 1960, resistance to the Group Areas Act caused the deaths of nine policemen in Cato Manor. The area was cleared and remained largely vacant for some time.
Cato Manor is ideally located, it is near the central business district of Durban and close to major roads. Over time it was re-occupied and the Cato Manor Development Association (CMDA) played a vital role in redeveloping the area. Today the Cato Manor Area Based Management (ABM) programme of the eThekwini Municipality plays an integral part in the development of Cato Manor. It focuses on social & economic upliftment, reduction of dependency and community cohesion. The area is home to about 93,000 residents.
The Cato Manor Heritage Centre is open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4pm and can be found at 750 Francois Road, Cato Manor, tel no 031 261 3216.
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