This mini dissertation considers the internal division of the Pedi in Sekhukhuneland, which culminated in the 1958 Sekhukhune Peasant Revolt. The dissertation reveals that the fall of the Pedi kingdom in 1878, land dispossession and the implementation of the apartheid policy polarised Pedi society to a point of conflict. Though the period of study is wide in scope, this research investigates those factors which caused internal division amongst the Pedi to a point of conflict. The central focus is only those aspects that divided the Pedi . In the early years after the fall of the Pedi Kingdom the role of the native commissioners based in Sekhukhuneland, appeared to have eroded the legitimacy of Maroteng hegemony . Systems of Pedi local political expression were much affected by the immense powers of the native commissioners. The division of the Pedi kingdom and the appointment of chiefs were early signs of discontent against the authority of the native commissioners. Sekhukhuneland began to suffer from political division created by the shift in the local power base. The undermining of Maroteng hegemony by the native commissioners created a feeling of antagonism towards government policy which was contrary to the Pedi traditional practices or beliefs. That is why explicit aspects of land reforms and cattle culling in the 1930s and 1940s were vehemently opposed and hatred levelled against those who accepted the government programmes. Internal division of the Pedi nation was possible because of the heterogenous composition of society. The Pedi society is made up of loosely fragmented ethnic groups such as the Bakgatla, Batau, Bakoni, Baroka, Baphuti and Amandebele. The unity of these ethnic groups previously relied on the strength of the Maroteng ethnic group. With the collapse of the Pedi kingdom, the power of Maroteng was curtailed, resulting in individual ethnic groups gradually becoming autonomous from Maroteng authority. They were influenced by the National Party government policy of separate development. However, the study also investigates the social and political plight of these minor ethnic groups. Access to land by minor ethnic groups was an impediment towards Pedi unity and caused internal division. There was also internal division caused by the forces of modernisation and traditional practices. The impact of Christianity and the emergence of the local elite such as teachers, clerks and policemen added another dimension of polarisation. The study also examines why the institution of the Bantu Authorities Act of 1951 resulted in conflict. The government deportation of chief Morwamoche Sekhukhune to Cala in the Transkei in 1958/03/21 and the arrest of chief Phasoane Nkadimeng in 1958/05/16 resulted in open conflict between government supporters dubbed “Marenjara” and resisters called the “Makhuduthamaga”. Government action was viewed as the final onslaught of what was once regarded as the Pedi pride. The study will also look at why the arrest of chief Phasoane Nkadimeng had such political impact to set Sekhukhuneland on fire. Attention is also paid to the involvement of the migrant workers who played a pivotal and crucial role in the period preceding the uprising. It was in that uprising that the Pedi migrant workers put to test the revolutionary theories acquired through membership of the African National Congress (ANC) and South African Communist Party (SACP). The core leaders of the Pedi migrant workers’ organisation, Fetakgomo, were also active members of both the ANC and the SACP. The character of the 1958 uprising is explained by the internal division of the Pedi which had its roots in the fall of the Pedi kingdom in 1880. / Professor G. Verhoef

This MSc (Eng) Investigational Project Report entails the evaluation of the Sekhukhuneland Development Programme (SDP). The SDP is a joint initiative of the Donaldson Trust and the Research Centre for Employment Creation in Construction (WORK). Its objective is: to increase the use of labour-intensive methods in the rehabilitation and maintenance of rural roads and other infrastructure in order to contribute to employment generation, skills development, provision of infrastructure and poverty alleviation. In order to achieve this objective an “Association not for gain” called LITE (Labour Intensive Training and Engineering) was formed; the Donaldson Trust provided the finance, and the expertise was provided by The Research Centre (WORK) but with additional support by Employment Intensive Engineering Consultants (EIEC). As the contracting organisation evolved from nothing into the training and engineering company LITE, the number of employees rose from none to fourteen. The University of the Witwatersrand provided a number of students to the project site at Mohlaletse in Sekhukhuneland where they provided voluntary assistance as part of their studies. Many of these students were from the University of Twente in the Netherlands, and it was largely due to their commitment that the project enjoyed such healthy growth. Considering the meagre resources this growth was a remarkable achievement, and it was made possible, not only through the efforts of the students, but also through the acceptance and support of the community. This support included providing accommodation for both students and site management. With a minimum of resources local community members were trained and employed by the SDP over a prolonged period of three years. The SDP evolved into a new programme, the Mohlaletse Youth Service Programme (MYSP), funded by the Umsobomvu Youth Fund. Of the R1.700.000 donated to the SDP, R1.690.000 was used during the evaluated period. Of this sum approximately 50% was spent directly within the Mohlaletse and Monametse community. The SDP consisted out of three main phases. The organisation evolved during the first two phases from no organisation into LITE Section 21, an organisation that could deal with training and engineering based on a strong labour-intensive focus. During the Pilot Phase the programme focused on establishing contact with the community and proving that labouriii intensive construction method could work. The next phase was the Training Phase where the necessary team leaders were trained to perform a variety of construction techniques. These techniques range from drainage structure to roads and buildings. The last phase is the Construction Phase during which the construction went ahead as planned using fully trained team leaders from the local community. The total setting of the SDP was as follows: SDP Phases SDP Periods Organisation SDP Projects - Pilot Phase: Period 1999H None Period Projects Period 2000A Point-of-Fact (Pty) Ltd Period Projects - Training Phase: Period 2001A Period Projects Mohlaletse Money-Cant-Buy Section 21 Period Projects Monametse Period 2001H Period Projects Mohlaletse LITE - Section 21 Period Projects Monametse Period Project Compound - Construction Phase: Period 2002H Period Projects Mohlaletse Period Projects Monametse Period Project LITE-House and LITE-School The main reason for the success has been the substantial involvement of the local Mohlaletse community and the acceptance of the Site Management within the Community. Within the constraints of the programme definition and objectives, the SDP has been a success to its sponsors and beneficiaries. Major problems were encountered within the fields of Labour-Intensive Construction Methods and the Project Management Areas of Knowledge. These should be taken into consideration when a new Constructing-Training Programme is started in future.

Text in English / The local structures are crucial component of development and they are intrinsically perceived as the epicentre of development. This is a qualitative social science study which embraces phenomenological observation to assess the role of the local structures in development in the Sekhukhune District Municipality. This study also wanted to establish the role of the local structures and their contribution to development in the Sekhukhune District Municipality. A phenomenological interviews and observations were conducted using scheduled interviews and interviews guides supported by, transcript interviews and a tape recorder. In addition, 160 participants were identified among the local structures. The Atlas TI software program was used for data analysis in order to achieve the aim and objectives of this study. The study postulated some recommendations which include inter alia: resource mobilisation, institutional capacity, and skills capacity in order to consolidate developmental local government. This study further recommended some policy options that include policy reform, policy formulation, and policy shift to better support local development and accelerate infrastructure roll-out to enhance service delivery for the benefit of development. It is in this context that the local structures are better placed to respond to the societal challenges bedridden service delivery. This study uniquely contributed to the new knowledge that stresses the correlation between the local structures and local development. It is in the light of this contribution that this study intended to further close the gap created between the local structures and local development. For further and future research, this study highlighted the land claims in the Sekhukhune District Municipality as the constraints towards development. / Development Studies / D. Litt. et Phil.(Development Studies)