Disaster resilience: A question of ‘multiple faces’ and ‘multiple spaces’?

There is a general recognition that resilience is not necessarily a new concept. Rather, it is an old concept passed on through generations. Yet, far too little attention has been given to examine the resilience of traditional institutions that could potentially increase our understanding of resilience to disasters. This paper argues that the traditional institution of chieftaincy in many parts of Africa could potentially offer lessons in the theory and practice of resilience to disasters. The discourses and narratives tend to present traditional chiefs in Africa as political appendages of both colonial and post-independence governments. In contrast, the chieftaincy should be viewed as a resilient and adaptable institution which is able to maintain its structure in both ‘normal’ and repressive administrations largely in the interests of its communities. Using the case study material from Zimbabwe, this paper illustrates how the chieftaincy in Zimbabwe is continuously re-making, replenishing and adapting to the neo-liberal and post-Marxist agendas in order to remain relevant to the ever-changing socio-economic environment. The conclusion is that the chieftaincy is the ‘real’ example of a resilient institution from which disaster resilience can learn.