The failure of the centralised state particularly in developing countries to facilitate development has resulted in an alternative tool being introduced, namely decentralisation. The author seeks to present decentralisation not only as an integral part of development, but more importantly as one of the key components of good governance. Given the fact that the new local government dispensation in South Africa has a developmental focus, the author found it both appropriate and convenient (he was based at the Community Law Centre at the University of Western Cape) to use his host country as a case-study as he 'believes that it offers a new and original attitude to local government". The book is basically a reproduction of the author's doctoral thesis in public law. Apart from the Introduction, the chapters of the book focuses on Institutional Principles for Decentralised Development; South Africa's Choices for local go