The role of traditional authorities in the rural development process of Lehurutshe District : Problems and prospects

Abstract

South Africa's local government transformation which began in the 1990's and local government election held in November 1995 and June 1996 cemented the transition from apartheid to democratic local government. This transformation has, however, failed to come up with a realistic and broadly accepted rural local governance model which is capable of service delivery in rural areas. This transition has also failed to clarify the roles of traditional authorities in rural local governance. The consequence has been that elected structures and traditional structures have become hollow shells, rather than strong representative bodies with the capacity to deliver services or even to orchestrate delivery. This has also resulted in these structures engulfing themselves in the struggle over which structure should have authority to represent and deliver services to rural communities. An appropriate local governance model or system in South Africa's rural areas should have the potential to unlock many of the institutional impediments to rural development. Although such a potential has been acknowledged in the government and the organization policy documents, insufficient attention has been given to developing a model for rural local governance. This thesis explores the role of traditional authorities in the rural development process in the Lehurutshe region of the former 'Republic of Bophuthatswana' in the North West Province. The point of departure is that traditional authorities will continue and play a critical role in the development of their communities. Consequently, there is a pressing need for their incorporation in rural local governance, if sustainable rural development is to be achieved. It is believed that an understanding of the roles and functions played by traditional authorities is important to the current efforts of local government restructuring process in rural areas. The study highlights the complex challenges facing rural local governance in South Africa and thus provides an exciting focus for Development Studies and rural local governance debates in South Africa.