Collisions of Economic Interests between the State and Traditional Authority

This book examines the economic roots of a 13-year conflict between the State and the Chewa Royal Establishment (CRE) over the village urbanisation of Sinda District in Eastern Zambia. Using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design (drawing on qualitative data from 29 key informants and a survey of 256 community respondents) the study reveals that what appears to be cultural, political, and procedural disputes are fundamentally driven by competition over economic resources, particularly land. Grounded in Max Weber's tripartite social conflict theory (class, status, and party), the research identifies three conflict actors: the State, the CRE, and the community. Findings show that 80.1% of residents are dissatisfied with land expropriation without compensation, blaming the State for eroding traditional economic systems and community livelihoods. The study introduces the Integrated Village Urbanisation Conflict Resolution Framework (IVCURF), anchored in transparent land acquisition, fair compensation, revenue sharing, and hybrid governance, as a paradigm for resolving peri-urban conflicts between statutory and customary authorities across sub-Saharan Africa.