Traditional leaders are regarded as custodians of culture in Zimbabwe and often the first line of social protection. They can also be sources of social stagnation and propagators of injurious cultural and religious beliefs. In collaboration with the University of Nottingham and Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU), we are carrying out action research on traditional leadership systems looking at the critical role information management plays in transitioning traditional systems. This has resulted in joint (with selected chiefs in Masvingo) design and development of improved village registers and IT based repository of local information for chiefs. This improvement helps in the discharge of the judicial role of chiefs and improves social cohesion. It also positions chiefs as important conduits of not just information on their areas of jurisdiction but also on development.
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