Appraising the Evolution of Traditional Leadership in Post-Apartheid South Africa
Stewart Lee Kugara 
, Sethuthuthu Lucky Vuma & Tsetselelane Decide Mdhluli
Issue: Vol.6 No.8 Article 10 pp. 1417 – 1428
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256810 | Published online 11th July, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Traditional leadership was the form of governance for Indigenous communities in South Africa before any interference by the slave trade, colonisation, and apartheid. With the dawn of democracy, traditional leadership is arguably pushed to the periphery of the current political table. Despite its recognition and having laws that govern it, it exists more on paper but is painted as a toothless bulldog on the ground. Against this backdrop, this conceptual paper appraised the evolution of traditional leadership in post-apartheid South Africa in a bid to unearth the relevancy of traditional leadership in the current epoch. This study employed a qualitative, desk-based research methodology. The Sankofa Theory was adopted to ground the write-up. In pursuit of its intentions, the paper provided an analysis of the impact of colonisation on traditional leadership structures, explored the current gender dynamics embraced in traditional leadership, outlined traditional leadership with modern forms of governance, and assessed the debates surrounding its legitimacy. The paper concluded that the current government merely accommodated traditional leadership in principle but side-lined it in real governance by apportioning them unclear roles which are slowly causing a silent death on this indispensable institution. This study enriches scholarship by interrogating the marginalisation and transformation of traditional leadership in post-apartheid South Africa. Grounded in Sankofa Theory, it offers a decolonial lens that reclaims the Ubuntu-based governance traditions, exposes the tension between legal recognition and practical exclusion, and advocates for the substantive integration of traditional leadership within contemporary democratic frameworks.
Keywords: Constitution, Traditional Leadership, Governance, Apartheid, Democracy, Colonial System
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Doctor (Advocate) Stewart Lee Kugara is a Y2 National Research Foundation (NRF) rated scholar – Law and Indigenous Knowledge Systems. He is a former Senior Lecturer (African Studies and School of Law – UNIVEN) and former adjunct lecturer Monash University, South Africa (Now IIE MSA). He is a former Postdoctoral Fellow: University of Limpopo – DSI/NRF Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021-3) and The Department of Science and Technology (DST) – National Research Foundation (NRF) Centre in Indigenous Knowledge Systems (CIKS) – UNIVEN – 2020. He is an interdisciplinary, intradisciplinary and multidisciplinary author with academic publications straddling the following areas; African indigenous law, intellectual property, traditional leadership, African traditional health and beliefs, knowledge management, African conflicts management, cultural astronomy, human rights, indigenous customary law, poverty and development studies, African philosophy and cultural philosophy, heritage studies and medical anthropology. He possesses excellent experience in customary legal issues (indigenous knowledge systems), research, community engagement and teaching.
Sethuthuthu Lucky Vuma is a holder of a Doctor of Philosophy in History from University of Limpopo. He is currently working at University of Limpopo as a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Humanities, School of Social Sciences, Department of Cultural and Political Studies. His field of research interest is Liberation History, Student Activism, Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS), and South African Historiography. He published a number of journal articles in accredited journals and also presented a number of papers in academic conferences. He produced and continue to supervise honours, masters and PHD students at University of Limpopo. He is also an external examiner for University of Venda, University of Zululand, and Walter Sisulu University. He is a provincial Chairperson of Oral History Association of South Africa (OHASA), Limpopo Chapter and Deputy Chairperson for Limpopo Archives Council (LAC). He is also former chairperson of Sports in the SRC at University of Limpopo. He spend most of his time analysing politics of the world, kept updated with current affairs and researching about new developments in his field of his research interest. Being born and live his life in Limpopo province, South Africa, instilled in him a respect for diversity and a burning desire to be a well-grounded academic. This goal has been his main reason for his stay in academia and he is determined to work hard in order to achieve this goal.
Tsetselelani is an Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) Senior Lecturer at the University of Limpopo. She holds the following degrees: a Doctor of Philosophy in African Studies, Master’s Degree in African Studies, (Hons) Degree in Gender Studies, BA in International Relations and Post graduate Diploma in Higher Education. She is an author in the following areas: Indigenous Knowledge system, African philosophy, gender and indigenous studies and African conflict management. Poverty and African resolution, research and community engagement.
Kugara, Stewart Lee, Sethuthuthu Lucky Vuma, and Tsetselelane Decide Mdhluli. “Appraising the Evolution of Traditional Leadership in Post-Apartheid South Africa ,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no.8 (2025): 1417 – 1428. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256810
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
