The Mpukunyoni Traditional Authority during South Africa’s political transition, 1990–1994

Patrick A. Nyathi

Volume 5 Issue 4, December 2025

Abstract

In 1994, South Africa emerged from a long struggle against colonialism, segregation, oppression and apartheid to embrace a new democratic dispensation. Despite this development, the country continuously recognise traditional leadership institutions, which some scholars argue compromise democratic principles. Consequently, many rural citizens remained subject to traditional leaders' authority, often viewed as undemocratic. This qualitative study employs Traditional Authority and Modernisation Theory to frame its analysis. It uses in-depth interviews with ten purposively selected residents of the Mpukunyoni area to examine the role of the Mpukunyoni Traditional Authority before the establishment of elected local governance structures. This paper explores the brief history of the Mpukunyoni Traditional Authority in Mtubatuba, examining its role before the advent of elected local government structures in the area. It also investigates how the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) maintained its hegemony in KwaZulu-Natal and Mtubatuba during the political transition period of 1990 and 1994. By analysing these dynamics through the lenses of Traditional Authority and Modernisation Theory, the study illuminates the interplay between traditional authority and emerging democratic governance in South Africa’s rural areas during a significant period in South Africa’s history, highlighting how the Mpukunyoni Traditional Authority adapted to, resisted, or was transformed by modernisation and democratisation during this pivotal period.

Keywords

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AI Declaration

The author declares the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in writing this paper. In particular, the author used SciSpace to search the relevant literature for the research questions of this study and Quilbot was used to paraphrase. In addition, Grammarly Pro was used to edit the language. The author takes full responsibility for ensuring proper review and editing of content generated using AI.

Notes

Acknowledgement

I extend my deepest gratitude to the participants who graciously allowed me into their lives and shared their knowledge and insights on the issues surrounding the Mpukunyoni Traditional matter before, during and after the transition period. Their voices and experiences form the heart of this work. I also sincerely acknowledge and appreciate the role of the editorial board of the International Review of Social Science Research and the reviewers, whose constructive feedback and valuable insights significantly improved the quality of this paper.

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Cite this article:

Nyathi, P.A. (2025). The Mpukunyoni Traditional Authority during South Africa’s political transition, 1990–1994. International Review of Social Sciences Research, 5(4), 66-89. https://doi.org/10.53378/irssr.353273