Local and Traditional Politics

Question 1

How did people interact with the state under indirect rule? (Eggen)

Answer 1

Through the chief

Question 2

Malawi Case Study (Eggen)

Answer 2

• Under colonialism local chiefs became a tool of colonial powers, 1933 the general principle of indriect rule established with local authority as the arm of gov under command of district commissioner
• After independence, 1964 Malawi Congress Party initated some reduction in chief power, but not incredibly far reaching as Banda drew legitimacy from domain of tradition. The one party era did little to change the actual function of chiefs, although lower-level chiefs were forced to toe party line
• Democracy has seen a resurgence, 24,000 traditional justice forums, letter from chief needed for formal reg of a business, chiefs practically in charge of all local affairs
• Chiefs have maintained legitimacy where other officials have lost it

Question 3

How does Mamdani see the legitimacy of chiefs? and criticism of this?

Answer 3

• local chiefs lack local legitimacy as they became a tool of colonial rule, the post-colonial state replicated this pattern. Traditional leaders are nothing without the state and the authority it bestows
• However record pre 1990 was mixed in terms of African states efforts to try and remove traditional leaders

Question 4

Where do Ntsebeza and Ribot see chiefly authority as coming from?

Answer 4

-chiefly authority is accountable to the state rather than local community, but it’s authority isn’t granted by a strong state but rather captured from a weak one

Question 5

Where are chiefs seen as most evident or equally important in local matters? (Logan)

Answer 5

public believes that influence of traditional leaders most evident in local matters, differences between countries, in 6 countries including Ghana, Kenya and Zimbabwe, feeling that they influence local matters. In countries like Nigeria, Senegal and Uganda they are seen of as equally important.

Question 6

What percentage want to see traditional leaders increase their influence? (Logan)

Answer 6

58% across 19 countries

Question 7

What drives the popular legitimacy of chiefs? (Logan)

Answer 7

• Poor performance of central government
• strong function they hold in many rural communities
• local legitimacy

Question 8

What impact does state intervention into witchcraft have in SA (Mutebi)

Answer 8

-it creates the impression that authorities are keener to protect witches than their victims

Question 9

What is a strong cause of witchcraft accusations in SA (Mutebi)

Answer 9

• Social and economic differention now entrenched in rural SA
• when migrants return to their village tensions with clash of values can cause witchcraft accusations

Question 10

What were villagers in Botswana’s thoughts on the formal layout of power (Helle-Valle) `

Answer 10

-They had little interest in knowing about it

Question 11

How is the chief seen in Botswanan villages in relation to everything else? (Helle-Valle)

Answer 11

-The chief is part of tradition and everything else is part of the modern system

Question 12

What does the efficiency of a political system rest on (Helle-Valle)

Answer 12

-The efficiency of a political system rests on the extent to which the subject population views it as a legitimate force

Question 13

The state can be seen as…. (Helle-Valle)

Answer 13

-An alient force with little or no legitimacy and tends to be exploitative and predatory