Demise or resilience? Customary law and chieftaincy in twenty-first century Botswana

This paper utilises the concept of customary law as it relates to the institution of chieftainship (bogosi). It shows how bogosi has maintained its strategic position,|administrative muscle and influence amid attempts by the colonial and|postcolonial state to emasculate it. It maintains that bogosi has been able to adapt to changing socio-economic and political landscapes.While the institution?s|powers have been gradually undermined by the government since independence,|chieftainship has, on the other hand, entrenched itself, manipulated the system|and made substantial gains. Chiefs and traditional institutions have manipulated their legitimacy to bolster their resilience. It is argued that despite assertions that|chieftainship has been overtaken by events, the reality is that the institution has|become central to government and cannot be discarded. It is a traditional|institution with immense clout and appeal playing an indispensable role in Botswana?s socio-political and economic system.