The book frames the discussion about the state of developmental local government in South Africa on two intersected concepts: responsiveness and responsibleness. This helps to demonstrate just how connected a municipality's ability to serve the interests of the people on the ground is to the quality of its governance, administrative systems and processes. Therefore, a responsive and responsible local government is practically good for the quality of life in local communities.
This book represents a balanced description, analysis, evaluation and critique of the theory and practice of local government in South Africa. ~Dr Gwinyayi Dzinesa, Africa University, Zimbabwe
The book moves beyond our general understanding of local governance in South Africa and delves much more on the politics around the practices of local government in South Africa. So, the book shows that in order to unpack local governance, one has to have the knowledge on the politics which embeds it. ~Prof Godfrey Maringira, Sol Plaatjie University, South Africa