Communities, the Private Sector, and the State

Abstract

In postapartheid South African cities, civil society's loss of confidence in the ability of public authorities to protect citizens reflects the international trend toward the State's delegation of a number of public functions. It has led to the proliferation of private and community initiatives which quickly spread across urban space, taking different forms according to the level of segregation, the shape of the urban fabric, the local culture of urban development and planning, the political context, and the pace of urban growth. This article, informed by the examples of Johannesburg and Cape Town, discusses the specific South African way of handling these delegation processes: a complex mix of neoliberal policies and practices and of the ANC's agenda toward equality and redistribution for democratic South Africa. Indeed, after a transitional period where these initiatives were tolerated, public authorities are currently reasserting their power over some of these forms (community-led initiatives) while still encouraging public-private partnerships (CIDs).