Lerato Malope is a Researcher at the Centre for Civil Society where she is completing her Masters in Development Studies at UKZN. Her study focuses on the ways in which the provision of water and electricity delivery, through community participation, can lead to empowerment and sustainability among residents of Cato Manor. Her study evaluates various coping strategies, which residents have adopted due to the service delivery backlog and the participation platforms that residents use to voice their concerns. The post-apartheid government introduced policies which aimed to address historical inequalities and injustices, but a number of communities still suffer from service delivery backlogs. Lerato is passionate about understanding how policy makers and users of urban spaces understand the ‘undoing’ of the apartheid city. Through this study, she aims to uncover ways to achieve collective governance and participation in service delivery programs.