TRADITION ON THE MOVE
Chiefs, democracy and change in rural South Africa
Barbara Oomen

Nederlands instituut voor Zuidelijk Afrika (NiZA)

NiZA-cahier No. 6, Amsterdam, 2000

Text and photos by Barbara Oomen Ed. by Madeleine Maurick and Marlène Cornelis, NiZA Transl. from Dutch by David Alexander, Ways with Words, Zeist Cover design by Frank Langedijk BNO, Almere Painting by Bon Chadyamba, Witrand, Z.A. (www.bonarts.co.za) Design by Anneke de Bruin, Amsterdam Printed by Raddraaier b.v., Amsterdam Financial support by the Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek en the Stimuleringsfonds Universiteit Leiden © 2000 Netherlands institute for Southern Africa - NiZA All rights reserved ISSN 1387 - 604X

Barbara Oomen works at the Van Vollenhoven Institute, Leiden University.
A lawyer and political scientist, since 1991 she has been studying African development, and has published extensively on South African law and administration. The scenes described in this booklet were collected during a one-year stay in Hoepakranz and in Jane Furse, Sekhukhune.
She wishes to thank everyone who assisted in the realisation of this booklet, particularly the people in Sekhukhune who unfailingly opened up their villages and their lives to a curious outsider. The booklet is dedicated to them.

Barbara Oomen personal homepage can be found at:
  http://ruljis.leidenuniv.nl/group/jfvvi/www/oomen.htm
Her research project 'Traditional leaderschip in South Africa' can be found at:
  http://ruljis.leidenuniv.nl/group/jfvvi/www/Barbara/index.htm

Contents


• Preface by Albie Sachs
• Map of the region
• Introduction
• What is tradition?
• Retraditionalisation in Mamone
• To whom does the land belong?
• The Eenzaam youth revolt
• The chief and the two councils
• The case of Madibong
• A democratic community?
• A case in Hoepakranz
• 'Who represents the community?'
• The mine in Ga-Masha
• Conclusion
• The challenge of changing tradition
• Glossary

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