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Thesis (M.A. (African languages)) --University of Limpopo, 2009 / The purpose of this study is to investigate the issue of bestowing honour to royalty in the Mphaphuli dynasty.The investigation focuses on the origin of the Mphaphuli dynasty. The Chieftainship has been traced right from the beginning when they arrived in South Africa until the current era. According to sources that have been consulted, the chief’s subjects used to respect him/her. Instructions given by the chief used to be carried out in a more positive way than it is in the present era. The socio-economic activities are also covered in the study. It has been shown that chiefs in the Mphaphuli dynasty are no longer getting what they are entitled to. Many subjects no longer find it necessary to participate in traditional activities such as Tshikona and Domba. The money that is supposed to be given to the chief no longer goes to him as it used to be due to modern social and political factors. The study also focuses on the impact of politicians on the status of the Mphaphuli dynasty. The democratic era has brought many changes when it comes to the aspect of the chief’’s authority. The functions of the chief are not clearly defined in the Constitution. By the look of things, some of the chief’s functions have been stripped off. For instance, the Thulamela Municipality has the right to give people residential sites. The chief is not consulted when this is being done. Money collected from buyers of sites goes to the Municipality. Civic associations on the other hand are always at loggerheads with chiefs. The chief’s subjects are sometimes encouraged to defy his commands.The study highlights critical challenges chiefs in the Mphaphili dynasty are facing. It reveals the fact that subjects are confused as to who has the final authority, the chief or the municipality? Things will run smoothly in the dynasty when the chief’s roles are well spelt out in the Constitution

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2001 / Refer to the document

The aim of the study is to establish the challenges that are experienced by traditional leadership that are prohibiting them from performing their roles. The reality is that despite the fact that there are guidelines on roles of traditional leaders, policies that are in place that entail the roles of traditional leaders, there are always problems such as disputes, grievances and complaints of unfair treatment by traditional leaders. The study seeks to explore the community of Mbhashe Local Municipality that has been hailed in developing its communities through the traditional leadership. This study shows the lessons learnt in this municipality that could be utilised as a model for other areas and thus assist in the improvement of other communities through similar relationships. The objectives of the study are based on the above introduction and problem statement namely: those traditional leaders, who have a role to play in the development of their communities, they have a potential to contribute towards the development by involving government departments and other relevant stakeholders with potential to develop the rural communities. The reality is that government has not succeeded in empowering the traditional leadership institutions in terms of development, their roles and functions. The study seeks to establish the meaningful roles and functions of the traditional leaders in their communities with reference to the local governments of municipalities. The study is conducted within the qualitative and quantitative paradigm, based on a literature review, personal visits and interviews with traditional leaders and elected municipal councillors of municipalities and community members. The study concluded by arguing that traditional leaders do have a role to play in the development of their rural communities also government has a big role to ensure that the Traditional Leaders are capacitated. The study therefore seeks to explore the reasons as to why some traditional leaders are not playing their roles as expected, what can be done to improve their understanding of their role in terms of development. The conclusion of the study is based on the fact that the institution of traditional leadership in South Africa dates back to the pre-colonial era. The power and influence of traditional leaders in South African societies has been weakened over the years due to the adoption of Western style political systems. However at the dawn of democracy in 1994, a lot of effort includes legislative and other regulatory steps aimed towards the empowerment of traditional leaders in areas where there is customary law system. Traditional Leaders have served as the spokesperson of the people as well as bringing the gap between the government and the people. The results of the study found that traditional leaders are pivotal in the community development programmes in the Mbhashe Local Municipality. Traditional leaders need empowerment in local government through a vivid policy framework aimed at establishing how they can actively partake in the affairs of the municipality. Also the study found that at present, traditional leaders appear to be operationally parallel with councillors, a situation which creates tension and damage to their morale. Such a policy framework would do a lot to give traditional leaders an engagement model, roles and responsibilities at municipal level. More importantly the manner in which they can cooperate with councillors towards sustainable community development needs more attention and intervention from local government.

The battle for traditional leadership successions continue to have negative effects on many Tribal Authority Councils across Africa, for example, the Valoyi Tribe, part of Tsonga/Shangaan nation in South Africa, and the Godban chieftaincy conflict in the northern town of Yendi in Ghana. Community conflicts related to chieftaincy positions across South Africa are apparent. This study was an attempt to explore and describe the dynamics of the AmaTshezi chieftaincy conflict in Mthonjana village, Mqanduli. The analysis focused on exploring the AmaTshezi chieftaincy conflict in terms of conflict and conflict process theory. This explorative study sought to explore and describe the perceptions of eight ad hoc committee members (government officials) who had been involved with attempting to resolve the AmaTshezi chieftaincy conflict. The researcher conducted extensive face-to-face interviews with these committee members and thoroughly studied the necessary documents that informed the study. Thematic data analysis revealed latent conflict, conflict emergence, conflict escalation, conflict stalemate, and conflict de-escalation, as key conflict phases in the AmaTshezi chieftaincy conflict. A number of recommendations are made about how those in authority could better manage communal conflict. The recommendations may, for instance, be used in the formulation of policies to influence better conflict management by government and help the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders to manage communal conflicts better and to facilitate public education programmes about issues relating to birthright leadership positions and lineage procedures.

Thesis (MPA) --University of the North, 2001 / Refer to document

This study examines how well the Mgwalana Traditional Authority (MTA) is performing its role of governing and developing its area and the municipal area of Nkonkobe in the Province of the Eastern Cape. The Chief of the MTA is one of the 2400 traditional leaders in South Africa who are responsible for giving leadership and development services to approximately 16 million people living in the rural areas. This study tries to find answers to two research questions: 1) What role does the Mgwalana traditional council play in governance and development? 2) Has the South African government managed to add traditional leadership to the local government structures? The study shows that the MTA is finding it difficult to do much socio-economic development because the Nkonkobe Local Municipality considers governance and development as its own role, and the traditional leadership is supposed to join only in customary and cultural activities. The research concludes that these two bodies could move out of the cross-road if they were to follow the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act, 2003 (Act 41 of 2003), and if the municipality were to work with local stakeholders, including the MTA, to achieve the goals for local government laid down in section 152 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.

Thesis (Ph.D. (History)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / The subject of traditional leadership has been, and will always be, the subject of academic debate in various disciplines and varying objectives throughout the years. However, it is in South Africa to a large extent, but Venḓa specifically, that this study focuses on the discussion on the controversial subject of vhuhosi (traditional leadership) within the homeland system. This study specifically identifies vhuhosi and institutions of Vhavenḓa as a topic for research given its muddied history during the dark days of colonial subjugation and apartheid oppression and suppression. It is for this reason that this study explores South Africa’s homeland policy with specific reference to vhuhosi of Vhavenḓa and institutions (1898-1994). In order to do this the study starts by describing the nature of the relationship between the South African government and vhuhosi of Vhavenḓa on the eve of homeland policy as a way of setting the tone of the Afrocentric exploratory paradigm. The objective is to expose the gradual political and socio-economic changes that vhuhosi and institutions of Vhavenḓa were subjected to during South Africa’s political development. The study then analyses the development of ethnicity vis-à-vis the influence of ethnic identity during the period surrounding the establishment of Vhavenḓa homeland. Given this background it then describes the changing power relations between the South African government and mahosi within the Venḓa homeland. Significantly, the study examines the impact of Vhavenḓa homeland on the internal relations among mahosi of Vhavenḓa as well as Vhavenḓa’s cultural conception of royalty and governance. The current researcher identifies the Afrocentric theory as a vehicle to embark on the explorative nature of this study. Unlike other theoretical paradigms that conducted research on vhuhosi and institutions for colonial and apartheid objectives, the Afrocentric approach was preferred as it puts African values at the centre. Therefore the Afrocentric theory was preferred as a way of debunking the Eurocentric/Western and liberal research on African subjects such as vhuhosi and institutions. Hence oral interviews played an important role to complement the written and archival material available.

This dissertation critically examines how traditional leaders use cultural laws to allocate land to women and to allow women to participate in land administration in communal areas. Given the government's commitment to gender equity in all spheres of life as stipulated in Section 9 (3) of the South African Constitution (Act 108 of 1996), the dissertation examines whether related legislation and policy (such as CLARA and TLGFA) alone can guarantee equitable access to land for women and their participation in land administration structures in communal areas where patriarchy dominates. In essence, the study interrogates whether state intervention through formalizing laws that govern land matters do achieve gender equity while cultural laws still exist in communal areas. Based on the view that land in communal areas is held by the state and administered by traditional leaders who have historically discriminated against women, the dissertation employs a case study method to examine whether cultural laws are exercised when women apply for a piece of land at the three levels of traditional authority viz: village, sub-village and traditional council levels in the Matolweni village of the Nqadu Tribal Authority. Although women are often the de facto rights holders in rural areas as a result of male migration to urban areas, findings seem to indicate that it is difficult and/or sometimes impossible to translate paper laws into practice while cultural laws are still operating. For effective transformation to occur, the study recommends that unless a strong women's rural movement emerges, coupled with a socialist feminist position that advocates for a radical transformation of rural society to defeat the patriarchal norms and standards, traditional leaders will continue to discriminate against women in land issues.

MPM / Olive Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies