The Impact of Indigenous Manga Rituals on Political Leadership among the Luba People of Kasai in the Democratic Republic of Congo
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Date
2021-01
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
The study sought to investigate the "Impact of Indigenous Manga Rituals on Political Leadership among the Luba People of Kasai Central Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo". African traditional leadership had norms and traditions which guided the operations of the leader and the subsequent interactions within the community. When colonialism set in, however, the fiber that held the African leadership and its society together, crumbled. The result was modern governance systems marred with corruption and bad governance. The earlier use of charms for control, lacked. DRC continues to suffer under bad leadership with the disintegration of the Luba traditional leadership system. This present study hence sought to (i) analyze the nature of the indigenous African political leadership among the Luba Community, (ii) examine the influence of manga rituals on the indigenous political leadership among the Luba Community, (iii) assess the impact of manga rituals on the modern political leadership among the Luba Community, and
(iv) analyze how the good aspects in manga rituals interact with political leadership for sustainable transformation of DRC. The study used the Elite theory of power, Tylor's theory of Fetishism and the Democratic theory of traditional African leadership. This qualitative research was rooted in phenomenology. The study was carried out in the Kasai Central Province in the DRC. The target population were charm givers, militia and political leaders. Sampling was done using non-probability snowball sampling technique. One-on-one in depth interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis and observations were used to collect data. Data analysis was done through the phenomenological approach, which incorporated reduction, horizontalization, textual structural description and description of phenomenon based on major themes. In the findings, the nature of traditional Africa political leadership, revealed sources and symbols of power as well as roles of traditional leaders that include defending the community, ensuring continuity, promoting progress and conflict management. Disintegration following colonization however, interfered with the traditional governance. In examining the contribution of manga in acquiring and exercising political leadership, the efficacy of manga is noted within the Kamwina Nsapu conflict. Tshiota and nkwembe as well as other types of manga are used, they grant power to traditional leaders and militia, towards good governance and prosperity. Through this, good manga are used in politics for accountability: protection, problem solving, benevolence and justice. A total of eleven types of manga for accountability help minimize corruption. The analysis of how good values can be retrieved and integrated into modern political leadership for sustainable transformation, service to the people, respect, consensus democracy, responsibility, conflict resolution, industriousness, accessibility and rewards to leaders for good leadership are seen, in addition to security, protection, transparency, and unity. Despite worries on use of manga by modern leaders for corruption, these good values call for integration into modern political leadership for sustainable transformation of DRC. The study recommends that rather than modernize people who keep traditions and customs with an attempt to incorporate them into the modern regimes, they be granted their rightful positions. Charm givers are to be well-grouped and monitored so that they channel manga in doing good. For the good values to be retrieved and integrated into modern leadership, training of society on the good types of manga is critical.
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Keywords
Manga, Manga Rituals, Political Leadership, Luba People