Transnational city-to-city partnerships as strategic tools for sustainable urban development

This thesis seeks to explore the value of North-South transnational city-to-city partnerships otherwise known as C2C, as instruments for sustainable urban development, through the case study of the Haarlem-Mutare City Link. Through C2C, communities may assist one another by means of knowledge sharing, transfer of resources and technology and joint cooperation. However, despite the apparent added value of these partnerships, they are often met with scepticism or suspicion due to the lack of knowledge pertaining to their very existence, let alone their benefits. Often labelled as just another waste of tax-payers` hard earned cash, C2C faces other criticisms such as public unawareness or apathy, strange choice of cities i.e. compatibility and in the case of North- South C2C, asymmetrical power relations and learning. In light of this, the main objectives of the study are to establish what factors contribute or have contributed to the performance of the Mutare-Haarlem city link in terms of processes and outputs of the partnership, as well as to establish motives for participation from both parties. Also, it seeks to establish who the actual and intended actors are in the partnerships and their level of participation. By also exploring notions of mutuality given that North-South C2C operate under different socio-economic, institutional and political conditions, the study aim was to give a holistic view of the processes, actors and outputs of C2C in Mutare and Haarlem, including challenges and success factors. The study was carried out as a qualitative, case study research. Primary data was collected through in-depth interviews with respondents from four main categories: Those solely involved with the City Link, or the municipality, those with dual roles in the Municipality and the City Link, and those associated with the City Link indirectly through some advisory or observatory role. Meanwhile, secondary data methods included documents and archival research. The literature review explores concepts such as partnership, mutuality, sustainable urban development and North-South cooperation linkages. Embedded into these are topics such as C2C success factors, weaknesses and outputs. Key findings indicate that the City Link has made several contributions, both tangible and non-tangible to the sustainable development of both cities in various sectors. Findings are also indicative that the Haarlem - Mutare City Link exhibits some characteristics that are arguably atypical for successful C2C as highlighted in literature. For example, due to political tensions, the role of the local authorities has devolved from active to almost non- existent and yet the Link continues to develop. Another atypical characteristic exhibited is that of not just personal learning but also institutional learning in the North from the South through adaptation of various Mutare educational projects in Haarlem. Although the research reveals mixed sentiments regarding the issue of reciprocity, it is found that there is a general satisfaction amongst participants that the partnership is indeed a reciprocal one. In addition to this, from the findings, enough evidence is found to exonerate the City Link from other criticisms pitted against C2C in that it has minimal reliance on public funds. However, the extent to which the criticism pertaining to public apathy can be disputed cannot be determined in this study. Recommendations include a more concerted effort in Mutare to woo the businesses sectors involvement. Also, as a model C2C is recognised not only by international organisations such as the UN but also admired by fellow cities, Mutare should take the opportunity to help develop a framework for C2C policy in the country. Essentially, the study shows that C2C can indeed be a useful tool for sustainable urban development if the 2 cities put in their best efforts.