Power Struggles in Dual Systems of Government: Conflict Challenges between Elected and Traditional Leaders in Greater Giyani Local Municipality

In post-apartheid South Africa, traditional leaders and ward committees are expected to work harmoniously to deliver services to citizens from heterogeneous cultures. However, conflicts between traditional leaders and ward committees are undesirable because they negatively impact rural development. In the past, unresolved conflicts between community leaders have led to various development challenges in different communities and threatened the existence of the dual governance system. Against this background, an exploratory study on the negative impact of leadership conflicts on rural communities was conducted in Greater Giyani Local Municipality. Therefore, the objective of this study was to understand the impact and implications of such conflicts on various aspects of governance, community development, and social cohesion. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data from 33 purposively selected participants. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis and ATLAS Ti 8, revealing various consequences of leadership conflict. The results showed that conflicts between traditional leaders and ward committees lead to property damage, serious negative psychological impacts, poor economic development, increased hostility and division, and low investment in these societies. These findings highlight the potential of community leadership conflict to disrupt development initiatives, hinder effective service delivery, and impede the implementation of policies and programmes.