Retracking Johannesburg

Abstract

While promises of participatory governance are enshrined in the South African Constitution and legislated in public policies, state-led participation in Johannesburg is, seemingly, devoid of any real transformative potential. This article demonstrates this by revisiting spaces for participation facilitated by the local state. Findings from three cases and interviews spotlight reasons for ineffective participation: deepening centralization of decision making, a focus on performance management, and the powerful role of politics in planning. Without the necessary political will to secure citizens’ rights not only to participate in planning but also to change policies, the transformative potential of active citizenship may remain unrealized.