Citizen participation has almost become a cliché in contemporary South African local government. As a result it has developed into an ideology rather than a practical mechanism to promote participation by citizens and to improve local governance.

Citizen participation in local government is a comprehensive effort to substantiate the concept as phenomenon in the discipline of Public Administration and Development. It also serves to eliminate misconceptions about the process of participation; however, unlike the tendency to identify only shortcomings within the concept, the book offers specific mechanisms that can be utilised to address these shortcomings.

The relevance of this book is enhanced by the fact that its content forms an information base reaching beyond the traditional target group of academics and practitioners. A study of this book by community-based organisations, non-governmental organisations and even ordinary citizens will enable them, too, to improve their contribution to an inclusive system of local government.