How do state-recognized traditional authorities (TAs) influence local-level stability? Policies that recognize and give TAs public authority, particularly in many sub-Saharan African countries, have attracted growing scholarly interest in TAs. Drawing empirical evidence from South Africa, I test a proposition that internally contested TA structures contribute to grievances and opportunities that give rise to social unrest. The statistical analysis combines spatial data on municipality-level protests with new data on contested and uncontested TA structures. The results support the theoretical argument. Qualitative data further demonstrate how contested TAs fuel grievances and facilitate mobilization against the local authorities.

国家认可的传统机构（TA）如何影响地方一级的稳定性？承认并赋予TA公众权力的政策，尤其是在许多撒哈拉以南非洲国家中，已引起人们对TA的学术兴趣日益增长。从南非获得的经验证据，我检验了一个命题，即内部竞争的技术援助结构会导致委屈和机会，从而引起社会动荡。统计分析将有关市政级抗议活动的空间数据与有关有争议和无争议的技术援助结构的新数据结合在一起。结果支持理论论证。定性数据进一步证明了有争议的技术援助如何激起人们的不满并促进动员地方当局。