Table of Contents

Figures and tables; Introduction: Politicising and politicking community participation in urban governance - Claire Benit-Gbaffou; Politicising spaces of participation; From party-state to party-society in South Africa: SANCO and the informal politics of community representation in Imizamo Yethu, Cape Town - Laurence Piper; Against ourselves - local activists and the management of contradictory political loyalties: The case of Phiri, Johannesburg - Boitumelo Matlala and Claire Benit-Gbaffou; Social movements, mobilisation and political parties: A case study of the Landless people's movement, South Africa - Luke Sinwell; Ritualistic spaces? Re-examining invited spaces of participation - Obvious Katsaura; Constructing communities in public meetings: Local leaders and the management of xenophobic discourses in Yeoville - Claire Benit-Gbaffou and Eulenda Mkwanazi; Beyond invented/invited spaces of participation; Uncooperative masses as a problem for substantive and participatory theories of democracy: The cases of 'people's power' (1984-6) and the 'xenophobia' (2008) in South Africa - Daryl Glaser; Participation, neoliberal control and the voice of street traders in Cape Town: A foucauldian perspective on 'invited spaces' - Marianne Morange; Meetings in Vosloorus (Ekurhuleni): Democratic public spaces or spaces for grievances? - Philippe Gervais-Lambony; 'Bringing government closer to the people'? The daily experience of subcouncils in Cape Town - Chloe Buire; Contesting the participatory sphere: Encountering the state in Johannesburg and Cape Town - Alex Wafer and Sophie Oldfield; Beyond invented and invited spaces of participation: The Phiri and Olivia road court cases and their outcome - Laila Smith and Margot Rubin; Postscript viewing South Africa's urban governance from an 'Indian' perspective - Glyn Williams; Contributors; Index.

About the Author

Professor Claire Bénit-Gbaffou is interested in urban politics and governance. A former director of CUBES (2010-2012), she has been directing Yeoville Studio (2010-2012), a community-oriented research initiative spearheaded by the Wits School of Architecture and Planning in partnership with Yeoville community organizations. She is convening a multidisciplinary Masters degree in urban studies/ urban politics (Master of Urban studies).