Investigating Local and Indigenous Traditional Leadership in Local Governance of Rural Primary Schools: A Case of Zimbabwe

Wonderful Dzimiri – Department of Educational Policy Studies and Leadership. Midlands State University, Zimbabwe

Cynthia Dzimiri – Robert Mugabe School of Education. Great Zimbabwe University, Zimbabwe

Email: dzimiriw@staff.msu.ac.zw/ cynthiadzimiri@gmail.com

Abstract: The study investigates how the rural local political (elected village chairpersons and/or councillors) and indigenous traditional leadership (chief/ headman, village head/kraalhead [Sabhuku]) are situated in local governance of rural primary schools in Zimbabwe. The study, undergirded by the interpretive framework, was a case study of three schools purposively selected from one cluster (five schools) in Shurugwi district. Nineteen participants were purposively selected to include three school heads, three deputy heads, three senior teachers and six parents, all legally mandated, to serve on the school development committee (SDC), as well as three kraalheads/[sabhuku] (also called village heads), and the one local traditional headman/[Sadunhu] as traditional leaders. With ethical protocols observed, data were generated through interviews, observation, and document analysis. Analysis of data entailed identifying emerging themes and categories and their patterning constituents. Findings revealed a convergence of different stakeholders, including local and traditional leaders in the school governance matrix. Local traditional leadership participated in planning and organising villager efforts forschool development, ceremonies, enforcing compliance to SDC resolutions, and in mediating and resolving local conflicts. Indigenous, traditional knowledge, organisational practices, power and control were brought in to complement modern management practices in local school governance. Implications of the findings are that school leaders must, therefore, break legally prescribed boundaries of the SDC, and establish relationships with local and traditional structures in school development efforts.