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A large part of the discourse of governance envisages cooperation between civil society and the state, with some theorists and practitioners arguing that there is a positive correlation between civil society and good governance. In particular, civil society action is presumed to be a requirement for good governance as well as an indicator of it (Roy, 2008). In essence, the very idea of governance is symbolically significant and suggests that the state alone cannot be the sole manager of public affairs. In this respect, civil society organisations should play a role especially in terms of ensuring state accountability. This paper presents a paradox in that the state is required to accommodate civil society which in turn is required to ensure that the state accounts for its actions. Significantly and perhaps in a bid to preserve its hegemony, the state provides limits on the civil society by virtue of having to recognise its existence