Traditional leadership and its relation to the democratically elected local government structure in Kwazulu-Natal

English: The role of traditional leadership in South Africa has remained a controversial issue over the past fifteen years. The focus of this research is to investigate the relationship between the modern political system of governance and the traditional leadership as forms of dual system of governance in South Africa. The thesis raises issues as catalysts for robust debated, to move beyond standard political arguments particularly when it comes to the meaningful role traditional leaders must play in South Africa today. Debates surrounding the institution of uBukhosi primarily polarised the South African society and this is normal as it is the case with all other issues. There seems to be two opposing schools of thought on the subject of traditional leaders, even within the African National Congress’ ranks. The thesis also gives a background to these two theoretical schools of thought and attempts to explain the reason why there is some difficulties formulating a policy document that is implemental. In this thesis, the two opposing viewpoints are represented by ‘modernists’ and ‘traditionalists’ respectively. The other position is recognising the role traditional leaders played and believe that traditional leaders have a role in the democratic dispensation and must form part of local governance in rural areas. This relationship is examined from the government’s documentations, official political statements by politicians and most importantly, how policy (theory) is implemented (praxis) by both government and the institution of traditional leadership. The argument brought forward in this thesis holds a view that the institution of traditional leadership possesses the ability for understanding how to govern and effectively make people come to an agreement through consensus about social problems that they share and the possible solutions to these problems, rather than depend on political elites and bureaucrats. In this way the system of traditional leadership provides values that are absent in the democratic form of governance. The thesis also focuses on issues of governance and political transformation that was introduced in the ‘Interim’ Constitution and further developed in the Constitution. In order to establish good working relationships between the institution of uBukhosi and elected government structures, ‘trust’ is essential between these two systems. Thus the researcher takes a moral stand that government must demonstrate a ‘political will’ to remedy the situation and work towards authentic recognition of the institution of uBukhosi and African culture. The study further puts forward a view that traditional leaders must be seen to be apolitical in decisions they make. Further more, the institution of traditional leadership must constantly revisit itself and seriously revise its strategies with regard to the position of women in the succession debate for position of leadership as traditional leaders and other aspects that are seen as inherently opposed to the Constitution. In other words, the institution must also transform, it cannot remain static. There must be a ‘political will’ to come to terms that people on the grassroots want their traditional leaders to remain in authority, therefore traditional leaders’ role in governance must be made clearer. The study provides for a rational involvement of the institution of traditional leadership in the negotiated state. Given the fact that South Africa is currently a constitutional state guided by democratic principles, democracy should prevail, however, not at the expense of the destruction of the institution of traditional leadership. Thus, democracy should not thrive by destroying traditional African leadership system. Finally, this thesis perceives the dual system of governance as two sides of the same coin.