Exhibit 99

    CITIZENS SOUTH BANKING CORPORATION AUTHORIZES THE REPURCHASE OF UP TO 5%
                           OF OUTSTANDING COMMON STOCK

GASTONIA, N.C., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Citizens South Banking
Corporation (Nasdaq: CSBC) announced today that the Company's Board of Directors
authorized the repurchase of up to 370,000 shares, or approximately 5.0%, of the
Company's outstanding common stock. The stock repurchase program may be carried
out through open market purchases, block trades, and in negotiated private
transactions. The stock may be repurchased on an ongoing basis and will be
subject to the availability of stock, general market conditions, the trading
price of the stock, alternative uses for capital, and the Company's financial
performance. Any repurchased shares will be held as treasury stock and will be
available for general corporate purposes.

The Company has 20,000 shares remaining to repurchase under the existing plan
that was authorized in May 2004. In total, the Company has repurchased 2,013,235
shares, or approximately 22.2% of the 9,062,727 shares outstanding that were
issued in the Company's second-step stock offering in September 2002.

President and Chief Executive Officer Kim S. Price stated, "We remain committed
to our plan to prudently leverage the Company's capital. This stock repurchase
program is an important part of our overall capital management strategy and is
one of the available methods to prudently leverage our capital."

Citizens South Bank was founded in 1904 and has eleven offices in three North
Carolina counties - Gaston, Rowan, and Iredell, including eight cities - four in
Gastonia and one each in Dallas, Mount Holly, Stanley, Salisbury, Rockwell,
Statesville, and Mooresville.

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, which are subject
to risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual conditions,
events or results to differ significantly from those described in the
forward-looking statements, including general economic conditions, changes in
interest rates, regulatory considerations, and competition. The Company's
reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
including the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, describe
some of these factors. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they
are made and the Company does not undertake to update forward- looking
statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date of the
forward-looking statements or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

SOURCE  Citizens South Banking Corporation
    -0-                             02/28/2005
    /CONTACT:  Gary F. Hoskins, CFO of Citizens South Banking Corporation,
+1-704-868-2263, or gary.hoskins@citizenssouth.com /
    /Web site:  http://www.citizenssouth.com /
    (CSBC)