This important collection reinvigorates the conventional, hollowed-out concept of governance
by insisting that power, and its accountability, is central to governance. It does so through the
lens of the postcolony; the field of vision is that of the global south. This makes possible a
perspective on governance which places democratic activism and the needs of the poor at
its centre.
— Colin Bundy, retired first principal of Green Templeton College, University of Oxford

This thought-provoking and timely book explores the potential democratising effect of good
governance beyond the rules, as a means to improve lives substantively, and eventually cause
the needed postcolonial rupture. It is accessible without sacrificing rigour and a welcome
reference for all of us working in the area of democracy and good governance who believe
that democracy ought to have a tangible impact on people’s lives.
— Judith February, author of Turning and turning: Exploring the complexities of South
Africa’s democracy

Civil society, NGOs, governments, and multilateral institutions all repeatedly call for improved or ‘good’ governance – yet they seem to speak past one another. Governance is in danger of losing all meaning precisely because it means many things to different people in varied locations.

This is especially true in sub-Saharan Africa. Here, the postcolony takes many forms, reflecting the imperial project with painful accuracy. Offering a set of multidisciplinary analyses of governance in different sectors (crisis management, water, food security, universities), in different locales (including the African Union and specific regional contexts from West Africa, Zambia, to South Africa), and from different theoretical approaches (network to adversarial network governance, and beyond), this volume makes a useful addition to the growing debates on ‘how to govern’. It steers away from offering a ‘correct’ definition of governance, or from promoting a particular position on postcoloniality. It gives no conclusion that neatly sums up all the arguments advanced. Instead, readers are invited to draw their own conclusions based on these differing approaches to and analyses of governance in the postcolony.

As a robust, critical assessment of power and accountability in the sub-Saharan context, this collection brings together topical case studies that will be a valuable resource for those working in the field of African international relations, public policy, public management and administration.

Introduction: Governance in the Postcolony: Time for a rethink? – David Everatt

PART I: GOVERNANCE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA IN THEORY AND PRACTICE
Chapter 1. Governance in Africa: Notes towards a resurrection – David Everatt
Chapter 2. African Shared Values in Governance for Integration: Progress and prospects – Salim Latib
Chapter 3. Governance and Human Development in sub-Saharan Africa – Pundy Pillay
Chapter 4. South African Foreign Policy and Global Governance: Conflict from above and below – Patrick Bond
Chapter 5. Governing Urban Food Systems: Lessons from Lusaka, Zambia – Caryn Abrahams
Chapter 6. African Crisis Leadership: Case study from West Africa – Anthoni van Nieuwkerk and Bongiwe Ngcobo Mphahlele
Chapter 7. Public Policymaking through Adversarial Network Governance in South Africa – Susan Booysen

PART II: SECTORS AND LOCATIONS
Chapter 8. Governance versus Government: As reflected in water management– Mike Muller
Chapter 9. Broken Corporate Governance: South Africa’s municipal state-owned entities and agencies – William Gumede
Chapter 10. Law and Governance: Has the South African judiciary overstepped its oversight mandate? – Chelete Monyane
Chapter 11. Factoring in the ‘Real World’: Governance of public higher education in South Africa – Kirti Menon and Jody Cedras
Chapter 12. Decolonisation of South African University Spaces: Case study of the Green Leadership Schools – Darlene Miller, Nomalanga Mkhize, Rebecca Pointer
and Babalwa Magoqwana
Chapter 13. Low-hanging Fruit or Deep-seated Transformation? Quality of life and governance in Gauteng, South Africa – David Everatt

The Editor:

David Everatt is head of the Wits School of Governance. He has worked across southern Africa in governance, development, youth, non-racialism, urban and rural studies, has designed and implemented monitoring systems, and managed largescale evaluations. He has published widely, including The Origins of Non-racialism (Wits University Press, 2010)

Contributors:
Caryn Abrahams, Patrick Bond, Susan Booysen, Jody Cedras , William Gumede, Salim Latib, Babalwa Magoqwana, Kirti Menon, Nomalanga Mkhize, Darlene Miller, Chelete Monyane, Mike Muller, Bongiwe Ngcobo Mphahlele, Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, Pundy Pillay, Rebecca Pointer.

This important collection reinvigorates the conventional, hollowed-out concept of governance
by insisting that power, and its accountability, is central to governance. It does so through the
lens of the postcolony; the field of vision is that of the global south. This makes possible a
perspective on governance which places democratic activism and the needs of the poor at
its centre.
— Colin Bundy, retired first principal of Green Templeton College, University of Oxford

This thought-provoking and timely book explores the potential democratising effect of good
governance beyond the rules, as a means to improve lives substantively, and eventually cause
the needed postcolonial rupture. It is accessible without sacrificing rigour and a welcome
reference for all of us working in the area of democracy and good governance who believe
that democracy ought to have a tangible impact on people’s lives.
— Judith February, author of Turning and turning: Exploring the complexities of South
Africa’s democracy