UNITED CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OF AFRICA (UCLGA)

Capacity Building (CB) and Development 

Ref: CB12 - Traditional Leadership in Local Government

Purpose and Description

Early attempts at decentralization in Africa, especially during colonial rule, sought to separate modern democratic local governance from the traditional governance under chiefs. These attempts were met with resistance as they tended to distort a strong system of governance that was linked to the spiritual foundation of societies. Traditional chiefs have remained powerful in the governance system and failure to recognize this has often led to pervasive power struggles, in many instances, the traditional leaders wielding more authority of the people than the democratically elected local governments.

The ambiguity of the roles of traditional leader’s vis-à-vis elected leaders and the lack of a comprehensive policy framework at the local government level addressing these issues often causes conflict that affects service delivery processes and limits the participation of residents in decision making. In other instances development is blocked because the chief is not happy that he is not recognized by the system as a leader since he is not democratically elected.

The authority and role of traditional leaders differs according respective groups and even subgroups. This makes it even more difficult to come up with a clean, simple set of meanings relating to traditional leaders. Several writers have noted this complexity as in the very use of the word "chief." Writers as well as the people who are very much a part of the traditional system associate chiefs with kinship, titles, authority over land and resources, and their allocation. They are given special places and recognition in formal occasions and they perform special functions.  

It is for these reasons that the UCLGA has recognized the need to explore the concept of traditional leadership in the context of modern local governance systems.  

The UCLGA believes that a symbiotic partnership can be engendered between local governments and traditional leaders. This project will explore options for cooperation including in such areas as land management, safety and security, resources mobilization, handling of neighborhood disputes, and management of migrations and their consequences on localities, to cite but a few.  

Through this project, the UCLGA aims to address the ambiguity of roles that exists, it seeks to share good practices, lobby central governments, and promote good working relations between local authorities and tribal authorities. 

The UCLGA will undertake the following:

1. Conduct a study to assess the status quo of other countries in the continent and share best practices with our members
2.  To develop models for collaboration between traditional leaders and local governments in the governance of their areas.
3. Lobby central governments to adopt a policy framework that would recognise and clarify roles of traditional leaders.
4. Develop a programme to interface, in a structured manner, with traditional leaders around the continent and mobilise their support for local development.
5. Facilitate dialogue among key actors in local development including ministers of central governments responsible for local governments, councilors,  civil society and traditional leaders in order to foster understanding and minimize antagonism
6. To support national associations of local governments to create harmony between local governments and traditional leaders through structured intervention programmes.
7. To create regional platforms for exchange of experiences and learning between local councillors and traditional leaders designed to building transparency, understanding and trust in local governance.