The Creation of Tribalism in Southern Africa

Abstract

Despite a quarter century of nation building, most African states are still driven by ethnic particularism--commonly known as tribalism. The stubborn persistence of tribal ideologies despite the profound changes associated with modernization has puzzled scholars and African leaders alike. The bloody hostilities between the tribally-oriented Zulu Inkhata movement and supporters of the African National Congress are but the most recent example of tribalism's tenacity. The studies in this volume offer a new historical model for the growth and endurance of such ideologies in southern Africa.