The conversion function of the political process in Lebowa until 1990, according to the structural functional analysis of Gabriel A. Almond and G. Bingham Powell, Jr

Abstract

This study seeks to use the structural-functional model of Almond and Powell to explain the functioning of the political system of Lebowa as a self-governing territory in the Republic of South Africa. Against the background of the historical development of Lebowa and the emergence of apartheid - or separate development as it was also termed - the political process in Lebowa is described and analysed in terms of the conversion function of Almond and Powell's model. Interest articulation, interest aggregation, rule-making, ruleapplication, rule-adjudication and communication are examined as functions of the conversion process in Lebowa. It is evident that Lebowa's position within greater South Africa, the importance of traditional structures, and the existence of modern political structures, play a major role in the political system of Lebowa.