The Socio-political Consequence of the Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims in South Africa: A Post-Apartheid or Modern Political Discourse within the ANC Led Government?

Abstract

The intent of the study is to investigate and analyse the impact of the Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims to the rural communities in South Africa. The authors opine that the issue of traditional leadership has been a contested terrain in South Africa long before the African National Congress (ANC) could assume power in 1994. Furthermore, the study attempts to highlight the intervention strategies embarked upon by the ANC in trying to resolve this problem, hence the institution of the Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims Commission which was tasked with investigating the legitimacy of some claims on traditional leadership. The study examines, critiques and contextualizes as to why would organisations and to a certain extent individuals sort claims of the legitimacy of traditional leadership in a democratic South Africa. Without doubt, such attempts made democratic dispensation in South Africa an interesting terrain to highlight issues of socio-political concerns. Therefore, with this study the authors intend to raise the issues of the recognition of traditional leadership in as far as disputes and claims are concerned. The study argues that the issue of traditional leadership disputes and claims can be regarded as a modern political struggle in a democratic South Africa and if not properly resolved, negative consequences can be experienced.