Succession disputes, chiefs and headmen: the Batswana community in Kuruman, Northern Cape South Africa

Abstract

This study examines how traditional leaders understand and resolve succession disputes among the Batswana of Kuruman, South Africa. In this thesis, I argue that traditional leadership succession disputes continue unabated, with little to no understanding of the tradition on succession. Traditional leadership in South Africa and other parts of southern Africa dates back many years to the era of colonialism and apartheid. It has been an acceptable way of governance, closest to and recognized by rural communities. Ascension to traditional positions of leadership, such as chieftaincy, is not through an electoral process, but it is inherited from the royal lineage. Indigenous customary law, customs, and beliefs govern the identification, recognition, appointment, and maintenance of their traditional leaders. However, factors like colonialism, apartheid, tribal affiliations, regency, appointments of acting traditional leaders, polygamous marriage, schisms, and gaps deriving from legislation governing the institution have negatively affected the customs of the traditional leadership institution. This study is grounded on Foucault (1978) theory of biopower, which describes power as an instrument that administers and regulates human life at two levels: the individual body and population. At an individual body level, biopower focuses on disciplinary power and at the population level; its focus is on biopolitics). Drawing on succession disputes within Traditional Leadership Institution, the study ascertains that power is fluid and is open to be contested. While power governs, and make people submit, people could resist it at many different levels overtime. This kind of power prevailed in South Africa during the dispensations of colonialism and apartheid, whereby traditional leadership customs were replaced with administrators who acted as chiefs; and homelands which created separation and misplacement of traditional leaders. Currently, in the new South Africa, Traditional leaders seem to have power, but the whole power is on the state.