Chieftaincy, the State, and Democracy - 9780253221551

Chieftaincy, the State, and DemocracyPolitical Legitimacy in Post-Apartheid South Africa\nAuthor(s): J. Michael Williams\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Indiana University Press, United States\nImprint: Indiana University Press\nISBN-13: 9780253221551, 978-0253221551\nSynopsis\nAs South Africa consolidates its democracy, chieftaincy has remained a controversial and influential institution that has adapted to recent changes. J. Michael Williams examines the chieftaincy and how it has sought to assert its power since the end of apartheid. By taking local-level politics seriously and looking closely at how chiefs negotiate the new political order, Williams takes a position between those who see the chieftaincy as an indigenous democratic form deserving recognition and protection, and those who view it as incompatible with democracy. Williams describes a network of formal and informal accommodations that have influenced the ways state and local authorities interact. By focusing on local p.