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

Common-pool resources are goods that are kept from potential users only at a cost. These goods are subtractible in consumption and can diminish or disappear. Our failure to manage or exclude noncontributing beneficiaries in river resources could lead to lack of maintenance or protection of these resources. Critical to access to and use of river resources are tenurial rights. Without a stake in the tenure and governance of river resources, local communities could consume river resources opportunistically. It is on this background that in order to attain the better management of river resources, this study has explored tenurial rights as . critical in the realization of this objective. It is imperative that all relevant stakeholders play a role. Critical in this role are the institutional instruments. In alluding to the need to better manage our river resources, the South African government, through the Department of Water AffairS. ~dForestry (DWAF), has passed the Water Act. This act is tasked with ensuring th~t c)~ water resources are conserved so as to serve the present and the future generations. However, the success of this law, as various researchers indicate, rests on a co-operative approach involving all role players, particularly at local level. It is only whenco-IIlanagement of river resources is put in place that we can be in a position to use our resources sustainably for the benefit of the present and the future generations. Central in this approach, in rural areas, are Amakhosi . and other traditional institutions which command power. In order to test this 'hypothesis, this study was conducted in Salem, a peri-urban area where the power and authority of Amakhosi is, at least, not as strong as in deep rural areas. While the power of these institutions has waned over decades, this study has found a need to include Amakhosi in decision-making on river resource use because of their long-standing authority over communities living alongside rivers. Despite the decline in the power of Amakhosi in enforcing control measures in the management of river resources,a myriad of responses indicate that this institution still possess authority in the control and management of river resources in the Salem area. However, this study has further established that a co-operative system entailing all relevant stakeholders could enhance, and indeed bring about a sustainable management of river resources. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

Univ., Diss.--Leiden, 2003.

Based on the author's thesis (doctoral). / Includes bibliographical references (p. [197]-209).

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 ( M. Tech. (Public Management )) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2013 / Traditional Leaders (Chiefs) historically served as “governors” of their communities with authority over all aspects of life, ranging from social welfare to judicial functions. The Basotho generally hold Chiefs in high esteem, continue to turn to them for assistance when conflict arises, depend on them for services, such as birth and death registration and regard them as integral and relevant role-players in local governance. Although many countries in Africa maintain a system of Traditional Leadership and many have incorporated Traditional Leaders into democratic forms of government, a concern exists in some quarters that Chieftainship in Lesotho may present a challenge to democratic governance and development. Similarly, local government structures created by the current decentralisation processes are perceived by many as deteriorating the authority of Chiefs. According to the Constitution of Lesotho, 1993 (Act 5 of 1993), the co- existence of the Chiefs and local Councils are legitimised. Under the legislation governing this process (the Local Government Act, 1997 (Act 6 of 1997), some of their powers and functions have been transferred to local government structures. The major sources of conflict between Chiefs and Councillors appear to be uncertainty and confusion around roles and functions of the various role-players created by the legislative and institutional framework and the loss of power and status that many Chiefs feel. Some of this confusion may be a deliberate form of resistance to the changes, but it is apparent that legislative clarity is required and that the roles and functions of all role- players need to be clearly defined and understood if development is to take place in a coordinated way. The inclusion of two Chiefs in each Community Council as well as two in District Municipalities would seem a genuine attempt to ensure that Chiefs are not marginalised in this modern system of local governance in Lesotho. The high proportion of Traditional Leaders (Principal Chiefs) in the Senate is a clear indication of the pre-eminence of the institution of Chieftaincy (Traditional Leadership) in Lesotho. On the other hand, the National Assembly is completely elected and consists of 120 members, elected through the so-called Mixed–Member-Proportional representation model. Although Chieftaincy is part of this organ of the state, it has limited powers in the legislative process and general decision-making processes outside Parliament. These powers are instead a jurisdiction of the elected representatives in the National Assembly. A similar set up exists at the local government level where Councillors enjoy decision-making powers with Chieftainship structures, such as the village, area and ward Chiefs role being ambiguously defined. It is very clear that the co-existence of the two institutions is a very crucial and challenging one. This co-existence has raised a number of political, developmental and conceptual problems and problems and challenges that have not been adequately addressed, let alone resolved. One of the problems is the anomalous situation in which people are simultaneously citizens of the state and subjects of the Chiefs. Other challenges include, amongst others, contradicting legislation, revenue constraints, a lack of human resource capacity, poor stakeholder management, the increasing rate of HIV/Aids in Lesotho, and so forth. Possible causes of these challenges had been investigated as well as how they can be managed or minimised in order to enable Chiefs to play an effective role in a modern democracy. With this research study an attempt was made to explore the role of Traditional Leaders in the current system of local government in Lesotho and how to improve Chieftainship as a strategy to complement governance at the grassroots level. The term “Chiefs” is used in this research study as synonymous to Traditional Leaders, because it is the term used in all legislation dealing with Traditional Leaders in Lesotho and it includes Principal Chiefs, Area Chiefs, Chiefs and Headmen, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

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

Texte remanié de : Doctoral thesis : Sociology : University of Durban : 1993. / Bibliogr. p. [301]-319. Index.

This thesis explores the Quijos Valley ground stone economy in relation to broader social, political, and economic aspects of the Quijos chiefdoms during the Late Period (AD 500 – 1500). In particular, this research examines the extent to which ground stone craft production was a dimension of social differentiation during a period marked by the greatest sociopolitical transformations. Ultimately, this research suggests that Late Period ground stone production was an independent and part-time household activity, and not an avenue of elite aggrandizement. However, aspects of this research have aimed to show that certain forms of ground stone were important implements of household maintenance, both socially and economically. This research is embedded within the Quijos Valley Regional Archaeological Project (QVRAP) and has aimed to contribute to our understanding of the development of social complexity within this region, as well as contributing to our understanding of ground stone craft production more generally. / x, 244 leaves ; 29 cm