ABSTRACT The institution of traditional leadership in Africa pre-existed both the colonial and apartheid systems and was the only known system of governance among indigenous people. However, contrary to the current political trend of discrediting traditional leadership, Africans have their own understanding of democracy, which is sharply from the liberal democracy of the west. The institution of traditional rulership was democratic in its own unique way in what we nowadays refer to as ‘consensus’. This article argues that the institution of traditional/indigenous leadership is still relevant as a trusted institution for governance by the majority of people living in rural South Africa. The Basotho adage: mooa khotla ha a tsekisoe is the maxim in which my argument – that traditional rulership is a sine qua non in rural areas – is grounded. The South African democratic government has failed to decisively define and unambiguously clarify the role of traditional leadership in government. The article aims to demonstrate government’s strategy of rendering the institution of traditional leadership obsolete and thus erasing it from South African political landscape. The debate on the role of traditional leadership is mainly founded on two diverse viewpoints: traditionalism and modernism; these viewpoints will form part of this paper. In this paper, I will refer to the legal or political framework of South Africa on the institution of traditional leadership.

中文翻译：

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传统领导在现代民主南非治理中的作用和意义

摘要非洲的传统领导体制既存在于殖民体系中，又存在于种族隔离制度中，并且是土著人民中唯一已知的治理体系。但是，与当前抹黑传统领导层的政治趋势相反，非洲人对民主有自己的理解，这与西方的自由民主制截然不同。传统统治制度以我们今天称为“共识”的独特方式是民主的。本文认为，传统/土著领导体制仍然是南非农村地区大多数人信任的治理机构。巴索托语：格言是我的论点，即传统统治权在农村地区是必要的条件。南非民主政府未能果断地定义和明确阐明传统领导在政府中的作用。本文旨在说明政府的策略，该策略使传统的领导机构过时，从而从南非的政治格局中删除了这一策略。关于传统领导角色的争论主要是基于两种不同的观点：传统主义和现代主义；传统主义和现代主义。这些观点将构成本文的一部分。在本文中，我将参考南非关于传统领导体制的法律或政治框架。本文旨在说明政府的策略，该策略使传统的领导机构过时，从而从南非的政治格局中将其删除。关于传统领导角色的争论主要是基于两种不同的观点：传统主义和现代主义；传统主义和现代主义。这些观点将构成本文的一部分。在本文中，我将参考南非关于传统领导体制的法律或政治框架。本文旨在说明政府的策略，该策略使传统的领导机构过时，从而从南非的政治格局中删除了这一策略。关于传统领导角色的争论主要是基于两种不同的观点：传统主义和现代主义；传统主义和现代主义。这些观点将构成本文的一部分。在本文中，我将参考南非关于传统领导体制的法律或政治框架。