The view that public participation is a crucial component of efforts to enable the world's poor to exert greater influence over the decisions and institutions that affect their lives is well established in the literature. Local government in South Africa requires municipal councils such as that of the City of Cape Town to develop a culture of participatory governance. Such participation is needed not only to ensure efficiency and sustainability, but also to accelerate broader provision of services such as alleviation of poverty, and provision of basic services and infrastructure by enhancing the community's understanding of public service processes and practice. According to Shaidi (2007:46) public participation and consultation in South Africa is a legislative imperative as well as a core value of democracy. The Constitution of South Africa, 1996 mandates local government to ensure the provision of services to communities in