features of traditional african system of government features of traditional african system of government

The origins of this institutional duality, the implications of which are discussed in Relevance and Paradox of Traditional Institutions, are largely traceable to the colonial state, as it introduced new economic and political systems and superimposed corresponding institutional systems upon the colonies without eradicating the existed traditional economic, political, and institutional systems. A third argument claims that chieftaincy heightens primordial loyalties, as chiefs constitute the foci of ethnic identities (Simwinga quoted in van Binsberger, 1987, p. 156). Traditional governments have the following functions; This category of chiefs serves their communities in various and sometimes complex roles, which includes spiritual service. In general, decentralized political systems, which are often elder-based with group leadership, have received little attention, even though these systems are widespread and have the institutions of judicial systems and mechanisms of conflict resolution and allocation of resources, like the institutions of the centralized systems. Only four states in AfricaBotswana, Gambia, Mauritius, and Senegalretained multiparty systems. Another measure is recognition of customary law and traditional judicial systems by the state. It should not be surprising that there is a weak social compact between state and society in many African states. Settling a case in an official court, for example, may involve long-distance travel for villagers and it may require lawyers, translators, a long wait, and court fees, while a traditional court rarely involves such costs and inconveniences. The introduction of alien economic and political systems by the colonial state relegated Africas precolonial formal institutions to the sphere of informality, although they continued to operate in modified forms, in part due to the indirect rule system of colonialism and other forms of reliance by colonial states on African institutions of governance to govern their colonies. Maintenance of law and order: the primary and most important function of the government is to maintain law and order in a state. These consisted of monarchy, aristocracy and polity. In this paper, I look first at the emergence of the African state system historically, including colonial legacies and the Cold Wars impact on governance dynamics. Similarities between Democratic and Authoritarian Government. Rather, they are conveners of assemblies of elders or lower level chiefs who deliberate on settlement of disputes. Regardless, fragmentation of institutional systems poses a number of serious challenges to Africas governance and economic development. However, their endurance, along with that of traditional economic systems, have fostered institutional fragmentation, which has serious adverse effects on Africas governance and economic development. Command economies, as opposed to free-market economies, do not allow market forces like supply and demand to determine production or prices. This page was processed by aws-apollo-l2 in 0.093 seconds, Using these links will ensure access to this page indefinitely. The third section deals with the post-colonial period and discusses some problems associated with African administration. Traditional institutions already adjudicate undisclosed but large proportions of rural disputes. The campaign by some (but not all) African states to pull out of the International Criminal Court is but one illustration of the trend. How these differences in leadership structures impinge on the broader institutions of resources allocation patterns, judicial systems, and decision-making and conflict resolution mechanisms is still understudied. A more recent argument is that traditional institutions are incompatible with economic, social, and civil rights (Chirayath, Sage, & Woolcock, 2005). Because these governmental institutions reject the indigenous political systems on which African society was built, they have generally failed to bring political . Not surprisingly, incumbent leaders facing these challenges look to short-term military remedies and extend a welcome to military partnerswith France, the United States, and the United Nations the leading candidates. A Sociology of Education for Africa . Music is a form of communication and it plays a functional role in African society . Thus, another report by PRIO and the University of Uppsala (two Norwegian and Swedish centers) breaks conflict down into state-based (where at least one party is a government), non-state-based (neither party is an official state actor), and one-sided conflicts (an armed faction against unarmed civilians). 1. Before delving into the inquiry, clarification of some issues would be helpful in avoiding confusion. Oftentimes, however, they contradict each other, creating problems associated with institutional incoherence. This brief essay began by identifying the state-society gap as the central challenge for African governance. This principle is particularly relevant for diversity management, nation-building, and democratization in contemporary Africa. All the characteristic features of a traditional society are, for obvious reasons, reflected in the education system. It may be good to note, as a preliminary, that African political systems of the past dis played considerable variety. Yet, governments are expected to govern and make decisions after consulting relevant stakeholders. African traditional institutions continue to exist in most African countries, albeit at different levels of adherence by the populations of the continent. There are several types of government that are traditionally instituted around the world. One of these will be the role and weight of various powerful external actors. However, they do not have custodianship of land and they generally do not dispense justice on their own. Societal conflicts: Institutional dichotomy often entails incompatibility between the systems. In direct contrast is the second model: statist, performance-based legitimacy, measured typically in terms of economic growth and domestic stability as well as government-provided servicesthe legitimacy claimed by leaders in Uganda and Rwanda, among others. Contents 1. The nature of governance is central because it determines whether the exercise of authority is viewed as legitimate. Cold War geopolitics reinforced in some ways the state-society gap as the global rivalry tended to favor African incumbents and frequently assured they would receive significant assistance from external powers seeking to build diplomatic ties with the new states. Understanding the Gadaa System. It assigned them new roles while stripping away some of their traditional roles. Government and Political Systems. Botswanas strategy has largely revolved around integrating parallel judicial systems. Large countries such as the DRC, Ethiopia, and Mozambique are likely to experience pressures against centralized, authoritarian, or one-party governance (whether accompanied by real elections or not). Using a second conflict lens, the number of non-state conflicts has increased dramatically in recent years, peaking in 2017 with 50 non-state conflicts, compared to 24 in 2011. Somalilands strategy has brought traditional leaders into an active role in the countrys formal governance by creating an upper house in parliament, the Guurti, where traditional leaders exercise the power of approving all bills drafted by the lower house of parliament. There is a basic distinction between those systems with a centralized authority exercised through the machinery of government and those without any such authority in which . Should inclusion be an ongoing process or a single event? By the mid-1970s, the military held power in one-third of the nations of sub-Saharan Africa. There is little doubt that colonial occupation and the ensuing restructuring of African political entities and socioeconomic systems altered African traditional institutions of governance. In some cases, they are also denied child custody rights. MyHoover delivers a personalized experience atHoover.org. Ndlela (2007: 34) confirms that traditional leaders continue to enjoy their role and recognition in the new dispensation, just like in other African states; and Good (2002: 3) argues that the system of traditional leadership in Botswana exists parallel to the democratic system of government and the challenge is of forging unity. Ethiopias monarchy ended in 1974 while the other three remain, with only the king of Swaziland enjoying absolute power. Less than 20% of Africas states achieved statehood following rebellion or armed insurgency; in the others, independence flowed from peaceful transfers of authority from colonial officials to African political elites. The debate is defined by "traditionalists" and "modernists." . One-sided violence against unarmed civilians has also spiked up since 2011.4, These numbers require three major points of clarification. The nature of governance is central because it determines whether the exercise of authority is viewed as legitimate. Among the key challenges associated with institutional fragmentation are the following: Policy incoherence: Fragmented economies and institutions represent dichotomous socioeconomic spaces, which makes it highly challenging for policy to address equitably the interests of the populations in these separate socioeconomic spaces. Subsequent to the colonial experience, traditional institutions may be considered to be informal institutions in the sense that they are often not sanctioned by the state. Womens inequality in the traditional system is related, at least in part, to age- and gender-based divisions of labor characterizing traditional economic systems. This is done through the enforcement agencies such as the police force. While this seems obvious, it is less clear what vectors and drivers will have the most weight in shaping that outcome. The customary structures of governance of traditional leadership were put aside or transformed. The Chinese understand the basics. Challenges confronting the institution of chieftaincy have continued from the colonial era into recent times. At times, these traditional security system elements are sufficient enough for some uses, but there's certainly no denying . Before then, traditional authorities essentially provided leadership for the various communities and kingdoms. It considers the nature of the state in sub-Saharan Africa and why its state structures are generally weaker than elsewhere in the world. Institutional dichotomy also seems to be a characteristic of transitional societies, which are between modes of production. Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural, include belief in a supreme creator, belief in spirits, veneration of the dead, use of magic and traditional African . The arguments against traditional institutions are countered by arguments that consider traditional institutions to be indispensable and that they should be the foundations of African institutions of governance (Davidson, 1992). Throughout our over one-hundred-year history, our work has directly led to policies that have produced greater freedom, democracy, and opportunity in the United States and the world.