Traditional leadership is a factor that has been long overlooked in evaluations of rural local government in much of contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa – this volume addresses it head-on. Case studies drawn from Ghana, South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, and Commonwealth countries in West, East, and Southern Africa, as well as Jamaica are included. An interdisciplinary and intercontinental collection that addresses this gap in dialogue about African politics. The book brings new perspectives on the integration, or reconciliation, of traditional leadership with democratic systems of local government. Features articles from the fields of political studies, law, postcolonial studies, anthropology, cultural studies, and policy and administration studies.