The Customary Anatomy of the Traditional Governance of the Bafokeng Traditional Community: The Implications of the Constitutional Recognition of Hereditary Headmanship

Authors

  • Samuel Freddy Khunou North-West University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2017/v20i0a3270

Keywords:

Hereditary headmanship, traditional governance, customary law, Interim Constitution, 1996 Constitution, legislation, homelands, Apartheid, genealogical seniority, family group, traditional ward, Bill of Rights

Abstract

The institution of the hereditary headmanship of the Bafokeng traditional community in the North West Province, South Africa has been in existence from time immemorial. It survived the calamities and vicissitudes of both the colonial and the apartheid regimes. The question asked here is whether the hereditary headmanship is relevant in the new constitutional dispensation or, to put the question differently, whether this customary practice is in line with the dictates and ethos of the Constitution. This article asserts that the customary practice of hereditary headmanship of Bafokeng is still apposite and fitting in the new South Africa. In particular, it is in accord with the Constitution, as is the customary practice of the Cala community in the Eastern Cape, which requires its headmen to be elected by members of the community from time to time.

 

Google_Scholar_1202.png    ScienceOpen_Log03432.png

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Literature

Anon Bantu Authorities and Tribal Administration

Anon Bantu Authorities and Tribal Administration (Information Service of the Department of Native Affairs Pretoria 1958)

Anon 2000 Insight @ ipt

Anonymous "Role of Traditional Leadership – Part I" 2000 (October) Insight @ ipt 1-14

Bammann The Bafokeng

Bammann H The Bafokeng: History, Culture, Religion and Education in Perspective from the First Three Hermannsburg Missionaries until 1940 (Lif Verlag Wien 2014)

Bank and Southall 1996 J Legal Plur

Bank L and Southall R "Traditional Leaders in South Africa's New Democracy" 1996 J Legal Plur 407-430

Bekker and Boonzaaier "Traditional Leadership"

Bekker J and Boonzaaier CC "Traditional Leadership and Governance" in Bekker JC et al (eds) Introduction to Legal Pluralism in South Africa (LexisNexis Butterworths Durban 2006) ch 8

Bekker and Boonzaaier 2008 CILSA

Bekker JC and Boonzaaier CC "Succession of Women to Traditional Leadership: Is the Judgment in Shilubana v Nwamitwa Based on Sound Legal Principles?" 2008 CILSA 449-462

Bekker 1994 THRHR

Bekker JC "How Compatible is Customary Law with Human Rights? Some Preliminary Observations" 1994 THRHR 440-447

Bennett Customary Law

Bennett TW Customary Law in South Africa (Juta Cape Town 2004)

Breutz Tribes of Rustenburg

Breutz PL The Tribes of Rustenburg and Pilanesberg Districts (Government Printers Pretoria 1953)

Bujo African Theology

Bujo B African Theology in the 21st Century: The Contribution of the Pioneers Vol 2 (Paulines Nairobi 2006)

Cook 2011 Current Anthropology

Cook SE "The Business of Being Bafokeng: The Corporatisation of a Tribal Authority in South Africa" 2011 Current Anthropology 151-159

Holomisa Double-Edged Sword

Holomisa P A Double-Edged Sword: A Quest for a Place in the African Sun (Lotsha Cape Town 2007)

Isaaks Guide to Botswana

Isaaks AC A Guide to Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland (Butterworths London 1983)

Jobodwana 2000 SAPL

Jobodwana ZN "Customary Courts and the Human Rights: Comparative African Perspectives" 2000 SAPL 26-49

Khunou Legal History of Traditional Leadership

Khunou SF A Legal History of Traditional Leadership in South Africa, Botswana and Lesotho (LLD-thesis North West University 2007)

Khunou "Origin and Nature of Traditional Leadership"

Khunou SF "The Origin and Nature of Traditional Leadership in South Africa: A Precolonial Perspective" in Collier G (ed) African Cultures and Literatures (Rodopi Amsterdam 2013) 293-320

Khunou and Nthai 2011 De Rebus

Khunou SF and Nthai S "Are Traditional Councils Replicas of Tribal Authorities or New Institutions Altogether?" 2011 (Jan/Feb) De Rebus 32-36

Koyana 2000 Speculum Juris

Koyana DS "Chieftainship and Headmanship are not Hereditary" 2000 Speculum Juris 144-160

Manson and Mbenga 2003 JSAS

Manson A and Mbenga B "The Richest Tribe in Africa: Platinum Mining and the Bafokeng in South Africa's North West Province, 1965-1999" 2003 JSAS 25-47

Mbenga "Acquisition of Land"

Mbenga B "The Acquisition of Land by Africans in the Western Transvaal: The Case of the Bafokeng of the Rustenburg District" Unpublished contribution delivered at the First Annual Edward Patrick Lebone Molotlegi, Memorial Lecture, Phokeng (1 October 1997 Phokeng)

Mojapelo 2013 Advocate

Mojapelo P "The Doctrine of Separation of Powers: A South African Perspective" 2013 (April) Advocate 37-46

Molotlegi "Role of Traditional Leadership"

Molotlegi LT "The Role of Traditional Leadership in South Africa" Unpublished contribution delivered at the University of Pretoria (10 September 2003 Pretoria)

Moodley Customary Law

Moodley I The Customary Law of Intestate Succession (LLD-thesis University of South Africa 2012)

Moumakwa Botswana Kgotla System

Moumakwa PC The Botswana Kgotla System: A Mechanism for Traditional Conflict Resolution in Modern Botswana: Case Study of the Kanye Kgotla (Master's Thesis in Philosophy of Peace and Conflict Transformation University of Tromso 2011)

Nicholson "Critical Analysis"

Nicholson C "A Critical Analysis of the Role of Traditional Leadership in Modern South African Law" Paper presented at the Third International Conference on Therapeutic Jurisprudence (7-9 June 2006 Perth) 1-11

Ntlama 2012 PER

Ntlama N "The Application of Section 8(3) of the Constitution in the Development of Customary Law Values in South Africa's New Constitutional Dispensation" 2012 (15)1 PER 24-44

Olivier et al Indigenous Law

Olivier NJJ et al Indigenous Law (LexisNexis Butterworths Durban 1995)

Rautenbach and Du Plessis "Final Nails"

Rautenbach C and Du Plessis W "Final Nails in the Customary Law Coffin?" in Fenrich J et al (eds) The Future of African Customary Law (Cambridge University Press Cambridge 2011) 336-360

Schapera Handbook of Tswana Law

Schapera I A Handbook of Tswana Law and Custom (Frank Cass London 1938)

Sepeng History of the Bakwena Ba Mogopa

Sepeng GP History of the Bakwena Ba Mogopa and the Baphalane (Archival Records of South Africa, Source: A 327 Vol 27)

Sesay "African Governance Systems"

Sesay A "African Governance Systems in the Pre- and Post-Independence Periods: Enduring Lessons and Opportunities for Youth in Africa" Unpublished contribution delivered at The Mandela Institute for Development Studies (11 July 2014 Johannesburg)

Shaw State Formation

Shaw BP State Formation, Nation Building and the Tswana of Southern Africa (Master of Arts in African Affairs Dissertation Duquesne University 1975)

TARG "Administrative and Legal Position" Vol VII

Traditional Authority Research Group "The Administrative and Legal Position of Traditional Authorities in South Africa and their Contribution to the Implementation of the Reconstruction and Development" Vol VII (Unknown Publisher and Place 1996)

Thornhill and Selepe 2010 J Public Admin

Thornhill C and Selepe MM "The Role of the Royal Bafokeng Administration in the Promotion of Municipal Service Delivery" 2010 J Public Admin 162-174

Tobin Indigenous Peoples

Tobin B Indigenous Peoples, Customary Law and Human Rights: Why Living Law Matters (Routledge London 2014)

Tummala Politics of Preference

Tummala KK Politics of Preference: India, United States, and South Africa (CRC Press London 2015)

Vorster "Institution of Traditional Leadership"

Vorster LP "The Institution of Traditional Leadership" in Bekker JC et al (eds) Introduction to Legal Pluralism in South Africa: Part I Customary Law (LexisNexis Butterworths Durban 2002) 127-138

Case law

Alexkor Ltd v Richtersveld Community 2004 5 SA 460 (CC)

Baloro v University of Bophuthatswana 1995 4 SA 197 (BSC)

Bhe v Magistrate, Khayelitsha 2004 2 SA 544 (CC)

Ex parte Chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly: In re Certification of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996 4 SA 744 (CC)

Penrose Ntamo v The Premier of the Eastern Cape (ECB) (unreported) case number 194/14

Pilane v Pilane 2013 4 BCLR 431 (CC)

Premier of the Eastern Cape v Ntamo 2015 6 SA 400 (ECB)

Shilubana v Nwamitwa 2009 2 SA 66 (CC)

Van Breda v Jacobs 1921 AD 330

Legislation

Black Administration Act 38 of 1927

Bophuthatswana Traditional Authorities Act 23 of 1978

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 200 of 1993

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996

Free State Traditional Leadership and Governance Act 8 of 2005

Gauteng Traditional Leadership and Governance Act 4 of 2010

KwaZulu-Natal Traditional Leadership and Governance Act 5 of 2005

Law 4 of 1885 (Transvaal Volksraad)

Law of Evidence Amendment Act 45 of 1988

Limpopo Traditional Leadership and Institutions Act 6 of 2005

Mpumalanga Traditional Leadership and Governance Act 3 of 2005

Native Administration Act 38 of 1927

Northern Cape Traditional Leadership, Governance and Houses of Traditional Leaders Act 2 of 2007

North West Traditional Leadership and Governance Act 2 of 2005

Traditional Courts Bill [B1-2017]

Traditional Leadership and Governance Act 4 of 2005 (Eastern Cape)

Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act 41 of 2003

Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Amendment Act 23 of 2009

Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 4 of 2000

Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Amendment Act 52 of 2002

Restoration and Extension of South African Citizenship Act 196 of 1993

South Africa Act of 1909

Status of Bophuthatswana Act 89 of 1977

Internet sources

Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Date Unknown http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/632827/Voortrekker

Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Date Unknown Voortrekker http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/632827/Voortrekker accessed 12 June 2015

Ozoemena 2016 http://www.nylslawreview.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2014/11/Ozoemena.pdf

Ozoemena R 2016 Protecting Constitutional Democratic Values, Traditional System and Institutions in the New South Africa http://www.nylslawreview.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2014/11/Ozoemena.pdf accessed 6 June 2016

Suttner 2015 http://www.polity.org.za/article/eastern-cape-courts-affirm-communitys-democratic-right-to-elect-headman-2015-08-21

Suttner R 2015 Eastern Cape Courts Affirm Community's Democratic Right to Elect Headmen http://www.polity.org.za/article/eastern-cape-courts-affirm-communitys-democratic-right-to-elect-headman-2015-08-21 accessed 15 May 2016

UCT Communication and Marketing Department 2015 https://www.uct.ac.za/usr/press/2015/MassiveBlow_27Aug2015.pdf

UCT Communication and Marketing Department 2015 "Massive Blow" Dealt to Eastern Cape over Customary Law - UCT Researcher https://www.uct.ac.za/usr/press/2015/MassiveBlow_27Aug2015.pdf accessed 21 May 2016

Published

30-10-2017

How to Cite

Khunou, S. F. (2017). The Customary Anatomy of the Traditional Governance of the Bafokeng Traditional Community: The Implications of the Constitutional Recognition of Hereditary Headmanship. Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal, 20, 1–37. https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2017/v20i0a3270

Issue

Section

Special Edition: Engaging with Customary Law