Lungisile Ntsebeza

Professor Lungisile Ntsebeza, "associate professor in the Department of Sociology, University of Cape Town, has been seconded to the HSRC on a part-time basis as a chief research specialist. He obtained a MA in 1993 in economic history from the former University of Natal, Durban (now the University of KwaZulu-Natal), and a PhD in sociology (2002) from Rhodes University, Grahamstown.

"Before joining the University of Cape Town in 2003, he was acting director, Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies, School of Government, at the University of the Western Cape. He has also worked as research and programmes manager at the Institute for Multi-Party Democracy in Durban, as a researcher at the Institute of Social and Economic Research, Rhodes University, and as a lecturer at the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville (now the University of KwaZulu-Natal).

"His areas of research interest include: democracy and development in rural areas with particular emphasis on the role of traditional leaders in the emerging South African democracy; local government in small towns with special emphasis on the former Bantustans, the future of multi-party democracy in South Africa, political leadership training; domestic violence, the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

"Prof. Ntsebeza’s publication record spans the authoring and co-authoring of more than 30 papers, journal articles and chapters in books. His book, Democracy Compromised: Chiefs and the Politics of Land in South Africa. (Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers, 2005) puts the spotlight on traditional authorities and addresses two main issues, namely how traditional authorities have won unprecedented powers of rural governance in South Africa’s democracy, and how they derive their authority. "

• Editorial Advisory Board, Amandla
• Chair, Surplus People Project
• Trustee, Trust for Community Outreach and Education