An Investigation Into Challenges Relating to Traditional Leadership Succession in the North West Province, South Africa (1927-2015)
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NOf'ml,WEST UNIV£1tSllY Yl,ltllBESITI YA l!OXONE•60PHLRIMA f . · HOOROWES,UNIVEPS!Tm AN INVESTIGATION INTO CHALLENGES RELATING TO TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION IN THE NORTH WEST PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA (1927-2015) OE KEOAGILE (17120969) Mini-dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Political Science at the North West University, Mafikeng Campus Supervisor: Professor Lere Amusan LIBRARY MAFIKENG CAMPUS CALL NO,: 2021 -02- 1 5 ACC.NO.: NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY FEBRUARY 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS I Acknowledgements .... .. ... ... .. .... ... ......... .......................... .... ... .. .... ......... ......... .. .... ... i II Declaration ......... .. .. ...... .. ........... ............... .. .. .. .... ........... .................... ...... ..... ... ..i i iii List of Acronyms ...... ... .... ..... ..... ... ... .... ............ ......... ...... .. .. ..... .... ... ..... .. ....... ........ iii iv Definition of concepts ..... ............. .. ... .. ....... .. ..... .. .. .. ... ... ... .. ..... .. .. ..... .. ...................i v v Abstract ..... .. ........... .. .. ...... .... ...... .. .. .. .... .... ................... .............. .... .. .. ........ .. .... v CHAPTER ONE ......... ..... ... ....... ....... ........ ... .... .... ..... ....... .. ...... .. .. .. .... ... ........ ... ... .... .. ... ........ ... ..... ....... 1 1 .1 INTRODUCTION ........ .. .... .... .... ..... ..... ............... ... ...... ...... .... ... ................. ...... ....................... .. .. 1 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT ..... ..... ... ... ... .. .... .. ...... .... .... ......... .. ..... ... ......... .. .... .. ............... .. ............ 3 1.3 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY ........ .. .. .. .. .... .. .. ...... .. .. .... ........................................ .................. 3 1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY .... .. ............................... .. ........... .. ............ .. ............. .. .... ...... .. ....... ....... 4 1.5 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY .. .. ................ .... .. .. .... .. .... .... .... .... ..... .. ........ .. .................... ... .. .... 5 1.6 METHODOLOGY .. ... ...... ... .... .. ..... .... ... .... ..... ... .. ... ........ .. .. ... .. ..... ....... .. .............. ... .... ... .... ........... s 1.6.1 Research design .... .. ...... .... .. ............. ... ..... .. .. .. .. ... ........ ............ .. .. ... ... ....... .... ................ .......... s 1.6.2 Data collection ...................... .. .... ....... .. .. .......... .... .. .. ...... ...... .. .. .. .............................................. s 1.6.3 Data analysis ................................... .. ........ ....... .. .... .... .. ...... ... .............................................. 6 1.7 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ........ .. ... ... ...... .... ... ................. ......................... ..... ... .. ... .. .. ... .... ... 6 1.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY .......... ...... .. .......... .............. ...................................................... 6 1.9 OUTLINE OF THE STUDY ........ .............................. ... ......... .. ...... .... .. ..... ... .... .. .... .. .. .. ................ 6 1.10 CONCLUSION ................... .. ...... .... .. .... .. ...................... ... ...... ............ ..... .... ..... .. ...................... .. 7 CHAPTER TWO ........ .. ...... .. .... .... ... ...... .. ..... ..... .. ............. .. .... ...... ... ...... ........ ........ ....... ............ .. ......... 8 LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .............. .... .. .. .. ..... ...... ... .. ..... ......... 8 2.1 INTRODUCTION ..... .... .... .... ... ... ... .. ... ........ ............. ... ... .... .............. .. ........... .. ... .... .................... .. 8 2.2. LITERATURE REVIEW ..... ..... ... ... .. ....... ..... .... ...................... ...... ... ..... .. .... .. ......... ....... .. .......... .. 8 2.2. 1 Apartheid and its effects on traditional leadership .......................... .. .. .... .... ............ .......... 9 2.2.2 The impact of the Bophuthatswana government.. .......................... ...... .. .. ...... .... .... ........ 10 2.2.3 Customs versus the Constitution .......................... ................... .............................. .. .. ...... 11 2.2.4 Politics versus traditional leadership ..... .... ....... ............ .. .. .... .... ... .... ..... ................. .. ......... 14 2.3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ... .. ... .. ... ... .... ........................... ... .. ... ................. ..................... 17 2.4. CONCLUSION .. .. ............ ..... ... ....... ............................... .. .......... ... ... ................................... .... .. 20 CHAPTER THREE .................... ....... ......... ................................. .... .. ... ..... .. ........................... .. ... ...... 22 3.1 INTRODUCTION ...... ...... ... .......... .. .. ..... .... ... ....... .. .. .... ..... .... ..... ...... ... ... .. ... ... ...... ............ ........ 22 3. 2 HISTORY OF THE BAKGATLA BA KGAFELA IN MORULENG .. ..... .... ... .. ........ ................ 22 3.3. SUCCESSION IN BAKGATLA BA KGAFELA ............................. .................... ..... ...... .......... 24 3.3.1. BBK Senior Traditional Leadership Succession ..... ... .............. .. .... .. .... .......................... 26 3.4 SOCIO-POLITICAL CHALLENGES RELATING TO TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION ...................... .. ........................................................................................................ 26 3.4.1 Contravention of customary law of succession ....................... ........................................ 27 3.4.2 Recognition of a woman as a traditional leader ...................... ........................................ 29 3.4.3 Long-term regency of a traditional leader ........................... .. .... ........ .. ..... .... ......... ....... ... 32 3.4.4 Political interference into the affairs of traditional leadership ... ..................................... 32 3.4.5 Royal family bureaucracy ............................................... ...... .. .. .. ..... .. .... ........................... 33 3.5 THE ROLE OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS IN SOUTH AFRICA IN THE 21 sr ...... .............. 33 CHAPTER FOUR ... ...... ........ ...... ........ ....... .. ... .... ........ ............................. ...... .. .... .. .... ....................... 35 4.0 WHAT MAKES A RIGHTFUL TRADITIONAL LEADER AND THE FUTURE OF ....... ....... 35 4.1 .1 What makes a rightful and legitimate traditional leader? .... .... ... .. ... .. ............. ........... ..... 35 4.1.2 The future of traditional leaders in South Africa beyond the 1996 .. ...... ... ..... ........... .... 36 Constitution .................... .. ... .............. ............ ..... ... .. ... ..... ........................ .. ................ ... .... .. .......... 36 4.1 .3 Conclusion ................ ... ......... ..................................................... ... ........... ............... ... ........ 37 CHAPTER FIVE ..... .. .. .. .... ...... .... .............. ... .. ...... .................. ... .......................... .... .......................... 38 5.0 CONCLUSION, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .... .. .................... ...... .. .. ...... .. .. ..... 38 5.1 CONCLUSION ... ... ... ... ... .. ... .. .......... .. ... ... ..... ...................... ............................... ........................ 38 5.2 MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE STUDY ........... .......................................................................... 39 5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS ...... ... ..... ... .............................................. ... .. ..................... .. ................. 40 5.4 _REFERENCES ....................... .. .. ......................... ... .... ...... .... .... .... ..... .... ... ... ..... ..... ...... .. ........... 41 (i) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank the Almighty for His protection and guidance during my studies. Special thanks go to my supervisor, Professor Lere Amusan for his constructive criticisms. The criticisms helped significantly in my academic development. This study would not have been completed without the humble and thought provoking inputs of my colleague, Dr Churchil Guduza. His meaningful contributions and engagement on relating to the topic assisted me immensely. I am grateful to my mother, Ms Pauline Keoagile. , for whom I dedicate this study, and my siblings for their support and understanding throughout the journey. My sincere gratitude also goes to all stakeholders whose information contributed towards improving the quality of the study such as the North West House of Traditional Leaders, the Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims and the Department of Culture, Arts and Traditional Affairs. (ii) DECLARATION I, OE KEOAGILE, declare that the mini-dissertation entitled "An investigation into challenges relating to traditional leadership succession in the North West Province, South Africa (1927-2015)", hereby submitted for the degree of Master of Arts in Political Science has not previously been submitted by me for a degree at this or any other university. I declare that this is my work in design and execution and that all materials contained herein have been duly acknowledged. Onketetse Edward 'Tumiso' Keoagile (iii) ABSTRACT This study examines challenges relating to succession processes within institutions of traditional leadership.