ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses concerns about water and waste in Hout Bay, specifically focusing on the Disa River that flows through the 'Republic'. It presents a case study of a civil society-led participatory process that tried to resolve Hout Bay-wide environmental problems through rehabilitating the river. The chapter examines the constraints of local bureaucracy on local democracy. When connected to the bureaucratic governance of line departments, local democracy has purchase over City Hall, but when traversing departments and their logics, local democracy is disconnected from bureaucratic power. The river running through Hout Bay from the lush upper valley, alongside Imizamo Yethu and down to the beach, has been a significant source of conflict over the years. Catchment forums are government supported, but are civil society-driven, voluntary organisations that promote the effective management of a river and its surrounds. The Hout Bay Rivers Catchment Forum has special interest groups focusing on Water Management, Solid Waste and Biodiversity.
