State - civil society relationship for democracy and sustainable development: a case of study of municipal governance in Zanzibar town.

Vesting power into the hands of the majority is one among the burning issues in the globalisation era. Central governments are urged to delegate power to local and municipal authorities to facilitate people's participation in development programmes. This research is concerned with the study of the state-civil society relationship for democracy and sustainable development. Municipal governance in Zanzibar town is taken as a case study. The purpose of this study was to examine and analyse the state-civil society relationship so as to explore the nature, form and content of governance. The study sample included eleven civic groups, thirty two Local Community members and twenty nine government officials. Questionnaires, structured and unstructured interviews, and documentary evidence were employed to facilitate data collection. The findings of this research have revealed that generally, the people were not participating in decision-making. They were marginalised in Municipal governance. In view of these findings, it is recommended that in order for the Municipal Council to carry out its responsibilities, the Council needed to be empowered in terms of decision making and resources. It is also recommended that specific mechanisms should be established far encouraging and letting people and the civic groups to participate and work together with the Municipal authority so as to promote sustainable development of the community and the nation at large.