Civil Strife Against Local Governance: Dynamics of Community Protests in Contemporary South Africa
Synopsis "Civil Strife Against Local Governance: Dynamics of Community Protests in Contemporary South Africa"
Local municipalities in post-apartheid South Africa have become the focal point of community anger over the perceived inadequate provision of basic services. The book demonstrates that the strife against local governance knows no geographic, social, or racial boundaries, occurring in communities of all races across South Africa, though more frequently violent in black communities than white communities.This book counterbalances the dominant focus on community protests in predominantly black communities. In order to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of community protests in South Africa, the book examines, through a grassroots civic organization-based comparison, the differences between highly fragmented residents' groups that often use intimidation and violence in predominantly black communities, on the one hand, and highly structured ratepayers' associations that primarily use the withholding of municipal rates and taxes in predominantly white communities, on the other.This invaluable contribution also demonstrates the central role of political trust, state-civil society relations, and the dynamics of local governance in community protests. Through a critical, though uplifting tone, the book is of interest to scholars in the social sciences, human geography, public administration, and those concerned with local governance in a post-conflict situation.
