Developmental local government in a rural context : a case study of Jozini Municipality (original) (raw)
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Local Government and Traditional Leadership in South Africa
There have been arguments whether traditional leadership is needed for rural development in democratic local governance. Arguments about traditional leadership in South Africa often result in the one whether customs based on traditional values are democratic. It is possible to lose the traditional value which has been historically produced in the society if the criterion to judge political meaning of traditional leadership is based on election. The influence which traditional leadership exercises has been recognized in rural areas. Therefore, the way of integrating and collaborating with traditional leadership is an urgent challenge for democratic South Africa.
D espite constitutional provisions for traditional leadership in South Africa, traditional leaders have not been clearly recognised since the advent of democracy in 1994. Yet centuries ago, this type of leadership served as part of the history of the natives. In underscoring governmental functions, the 1996 Constitution makes provision for the three spheres of government, namely, national, provincial and local government. However, in some provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal, the king receives a substantial amount of funding from the provincial government in order to run the affairs of his kingdom. In such cases, standardised guidelines, accountability mechanisms and roles are not clearly stated for all traditional leaders in South Africa. In making sense of the role of traditional leadership in South Africa, a qualitative research in the form of focus group discussions was undertaken with the traditional leaders of the Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality. The purpose of this article is to understand the role (relevance and contribution) of traditional leadership in South Africa during the post-1994 democratic dispensation. The issues raised by these traditional leaders are that the current democratic government has reduced them to the role of preserving cultural heritage and does not include them in socio-economic activities; hence these traditional leaders are regarded by some sections of society as irrelevant.
2002
Ta ble of contents page no. Chapter 1: The need for the study 1 1.1 Aim of the study 1 1.2 Research problem 1 1.3 Research question 2 1.4 Subsidiary questions 3 1.5 Hypothesis 3 1.6 Chapter outline 3 Chapter 2: The research methodol ogy 6 2.1 Introd uction 6 2.2 Sources of informatio n 6 2.2.1 Primary sources 6 2.2.2 Secondary sources 6 2.3 Sampling 7 2.4 Shortcomin gs experience d during data collection 9 2.5 Conclusion s 9 Chapter 3: Conceptu al and theoretica l framewor k l0 3.1 Introductio n 10 3.2 Key concepts 10 3.2.1 Traditional leader/aut hority or tribal leader/aut hority l0 3.2.2 Tribal area 12 3.2.3 Local governmen t. 12 3.2.4 Municipalit y 12 3.2.5 Demarcati on 13 3.3 Theoretica l perspectiv es 14 3.4 Critical analysis of the theories 17 Chapter 4: Tradition al leadershi p and governme nt 20 4.1 Introductio n 20 4.2 Internation al precedents 20• 4.2.1 Botswana 20 4.2.2 Ghana 23 4.2.3 Zimbabwe 25 4.2.4 Micronesia 26 4.3 Lessons fro South Africa 33 4.4 Traditional leadership in South Africa 34 4.5 Debates about the roles and functions of traditional Leaders in South Africa 39 4.6 Conclusion s 45 Chapter 5: South African legislatio n 47 5.1 Introductio n 47 5.2 The Constitutio n 48 5.3 The White Paper on Local Governme nt. .48 5.3.1 The role of traditional leadership at local leveL .49 5.3.2 The relationshi p between traditional leaders and local governmen t. 50 5.3.3
2011
The South African post-apartheid government attempted to integrate traditional authorities and local government. The concept is to promote co-operative and inclusive government among rural communities and contemporary local government systems. Government believes traditional authorities have a role to play in democracy, particularly with regard to community service delivery in these societies and democracy particularly with regard to community service delivery. However, this attempt has encountered several constraints. This article identifi es those factors that are constraining this attempt. Fifteen traditional leaders who represent rural communities in municipalities in the Vhembe District Municipality were interviewed through a semi-structured questionnaire to measure their perception with regard to their role in local government. In addition, representatives of traditional leaders’ structures, municipal managers, municipal IDP managers, municipal mayors and the Vhembe District M...
2007
CHAPTER ONE democratic dispensation in such a way that the institution of traditional leadership plays a meaningful role in governance. Chapter Five: The main area of focus is the dominant debates around the African National Congress' position about the institution of traditional leadership. The researcher argues that it is precisely the ambiguous position adopted by the African National Congress many years ago which is still prevailing and thus making the negotiations about the role and function of traditional leaders untenable in the new political dispensation. The researcher further argues that it is this position that renders services in rural areas non-existent or slow. The chapter also looks at what the African National Congress puts forward as weaknesses in the institution of traditional leadership, including the discrimination of women in the succession battle for inclusion as traditional leaders. The politics of recognition also form part of this chapter. Chapter Six: The Socioeconomic demographic characteristics: For effecting a greater understanding of the area covered by the investigation, the historical background of where in the map uThungulu District is situated is given. The whole background of the situation as it is how people live, that is, what kind of work people of KwaZulu-Natal do and their poverty levels and educational level currently is also given. This is done to provide the reader with a mental picture of the situation in the areas covered by the study, again in order to make facts speak for themselves. In the final part of this chapter focus is turned on empirical data. The chapter will give a brief explanation of how collected data was analysed and interpreted. Furthermore, there is also executive summary of the International Conference on the Institution of Traditional Leadership. This part is based on the discussions and recommendations of the conference as well as the appendices as attached. This section must be read together with the appendices One to Four. Chapter Seven: General conclusions and recommendations. The researcher gives a number of recommendations which he believes would contribute positively towards the debate about the strategic positioning of the institution of traditional leadership in South
Alternation, 2018
This Afrocentric article uses the Maruleng sub-district of Limpopo province as a test case to analyse and critique the intersection(s) between constitutional institutions of authority and traditional mechanisms of governance in South Africa. Methodologically, the author has relied heavily on critical discourse approach and conversations in their broadest form. The article's main argument is that the coexistence of traditional leadership and municipal councils is inherently problematic. At the centre of the problematic nature of the coexistence of traditional leadership and municipal councils lie the discontinuities of the cultural values and practices of the Black communities in Maruleng sub-district. It is concluded that there is an urgent need for the desk of traditional leadership within the local Maruleng Municipality. It is also necessary to craft a space for municipal representation in the council of traditional authority. This desk and municipal representation in each other's affairs would be instrumental in untangling the competition for leadership space and other challenges within and/or between the various traditional authorities and the local municipal council.
Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods, the aim of the study forming the basis of the article was to examine how traditional leadership can be harnessed for the purposes of service delivery at the local level in South Africa. Specifically, the study sought to examine the juxtaposition of traditional and modern forms of governance in South Africa (institutional duality) and the role traditional leaders play in the provision and delivery of social and economic services to the sections of the population within their jurisdictions. The results of the study confirmed the existence of this institutional duality with regard to the Southern African institutional culture. In other words, even though traditional leaders no longer wield the considerable administrative, legislative and judicial powers they used to exercise over the chiefdoms, they are still very much part of the institutional culture of South Africa and the sub-region.
Interfacing interplay of local government, traditional leaders and society
Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 2017
Wilmien Wicomb from the Legal Resource Centre states that the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 marks the first time that customary law was recognised as a law equal to its common law and even statutory law counterparts. Whilst this recognition is implicit in chapter two of the Constitution, the Constitutional Court's jurisprudence in 2000 placed such recognition beyond doubt to make sure that the legislature and executive entrench the understanding of constitutional recognition of customary practices. This article considers the following research question: Is the interface of the interplay of local government, traditional leaders and society possible to restore transformation and community development where there are traditional leaders' presence? To answer, qualitative methodologies were explored. The study found that traditionality and modernity, lack of clarity of the role of traditional leaders, parallel administrations, power struggles and court battles needed resolve to ensure meaningful public-sector reforms and transformation.