Poder tradicional e sua legitimidade no contexto histórico de Gaza: estudo de caso no distrito de Chibuto 1897/1996

Abstract

At the end of the last century, a Traditional State developed in the south and center of the country, occupying the areas between the Incomati and the Zambezi River valley. Its builder was the leader Nguní, Manikuse or Sochangane. Tchaimite located in Ximbutso from which Chibuto derives its name was the first capital of that state and later became the sacred capital and shrine of the Bashangane. The Mukhantxwa and other subaltern Nguni lineages held political power and were the Tihosi in Tlhatlheni, Tchaimite and Xigongoanyane. The periods that followed, the colonial and the post-independence period, brought changes in the conception of traditional power/authority. Today this creates problems for the new democratically elected government's strategy of decentralizing the political functions of society and of incorporating parts of the functions of traditional authority into public life. At the level of Chibuto, there are difficulties and consequently possibilities of conflict, as is the case of Tlhatlheni and Ganekiso, in identifying who in reality is the social support of the legitimacy of power, and which people were “only” appointed by the Portuguese colonial state. Our study sought to analyze the bases of support of traditional power/authority in Chibuto to identify the lineages that hold legitimate power, understand their sociocultural and political positioning throughout the historical evolution of the district. Methodologically, our work was based on a literature review and open interviews with members of royal lineages descended from Manikusi in Tchaimite, from Sukunaka Mabesa in Tlhatlheni and from Jambul in Xingongoanyane, in addition to ex-régulos, indunas, some of the most influential individuals and members of the communities. We have seen in the course of our work that the so-called traditional authorities have not completely lost their power, which is considered legitimate. Its representatives at all stages of Chibuto's life, namely, in the changes that were taking place, worked in coordination with the established local authorities. There was articulation with the régulos in the colonial period and with the dynamic groups in the post-independence period (TRADUÇÃO NOSSA)