Death of a king is a chance to modernise these monarchies

The passing of amaZulu King Goodwill Zwelithini offers the opportunity to modernise, democratise and depoliticise the governance system underpinning the monarchy, traditional structures and norms. If not, these should be abolished. If they remain, they should be funded only by those who support them, or out of their private pockets.

Women should be allowed to become monarchs, the title deeds of communal land now under the control of monarchs, chiefs and traditional leaders should be given to individuals in the communities, and all citizens in traditional communities should become socially equal, gender- and age-equal.

In the amaZulu case, women should be allowed to succeed to positions. The Ingonyama Trust, a corporate entity established to supposedly administer the land traditionally owned by the amaZulu community, should be disbanded and communal land be given to families occupying the land. Everyone from the community should have equal social status, regardless of supposed traditional hierarchy, gender and age.

This means that a monarch, chief or traditional leader should have the same status as a so-called commoner. Everyone should be commoners.

Monarchs, chiefs and traditional leaders should be held accountable for their behaviour. People must be able to vote them out of office if they misbehave.

The current governance system that supports African traditional monarchies, traditional structures and norms is based on the ideology of patriarchy, which undermines social and gender equality, freedom of choice and basic human rights. It reinforces inequalities along social, gender, age and urban-rural lines. It undermines quality democracy, inclusive growth and equitable development.

The ideology of patriarchy, because it perpetuates social, gender and generational inequality, is a reason why most African countries in the post-colonial era, and SA in the post-apartheid era, have stagnated.

King Zwelithini was laid to rest in a private ceremony, at night and buried by men only, which was apparently his wish. Of course the last will and testament of the king, like any individual, should be respected. Nevertheless, traditional ceremonies, including burial ceremonies of African monarchs, chiefs and traditional leaders, should be transformed to be more inclusive, giving women partners, children and family a say too.

The governance system of traditional monarchs, leaders and structures, and its guiding ideology of patriarchy, directly challenge and compete with SA’s democratic constitution, laws and values.

These competing systems are in part responsible for corruption, lack of accountability and lawlessness in many areas under the jurisdiction of monarchs, chiefs and traditional leaders.

All aspects of a traditional governance system that clash with the democratic constitution, institutions and values must be abolished because they are unconstitutional. This means that traditional governance systems must introduce gender equality, social equality and defer to democratic laws.

All traditional kingships, chieftainships and leaderships must be made symbolic or ceremonial, without any formal powers. Every person in the community must have the right to opt out of traditional governance.

Hereditary succession must be abolished in such a new, symbolic or ceremonial traditional governance system. Traditional monarchs, chiefs and leaders must be elected to positions. Women must be allowed to be elected as traditional monarchs, chiefs and to other leadership positions.

Traditional kings, chiefs and leaders must be prohibited from participating in politics, holding political office or aligning themselves with any political party.

Those who receive public money should account for how they spend it and expenditure should be in accordance with public finance management prescripts. They should be audited like any other public entity.

There must be clear rules for impeaching corrupt, autocratic and selfish traditional kings, chiefs and leaders. Provision must be made for them to retire.

There is a long history, over many centuries, in industrial and developing countries of monarchs who were forced to abdicate because of corruption, mismanagement and misbehaviour.

Spain’s king Juan Carlos was forced to abdicate in 2014 after an embezzlement scandal. Egyptian king Farouk was forced to abdicate in 1952, and the monarchy abolished, because of grand corruption, a self-indulgent lifestyle and indifference to the grinding poverty of its “subjects”.

Similarly there are many cases where monarchies, chiefdoms and traditional leader structures have been abolished by societies, including China, Vietnam and Yugoslavia.

SA’s traditional kings, chiefs and leaders who do not submit to the democratic system should fund their reigns out of their own pockets, or the pockets of those who support them. Ultimately it is better, of course, if we abolish the entire system of traditional leaders.