This is a list of reigning
non-sovereign monarchs, including
traditional rulers and governing constitutional monarchs, but not the kings of
Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked as an enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest mountains in Southern Africa. It has an area of over and has a populatio ...
,
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
and
Eswatini
Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...
. Each monarch listed below reigns over a legally recognised dominion, but in most cases possess
little or no sovereign governing power. Their
titles
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
, however, are recognised by the state. Entries are listed beside their respective dominions, and are grouped by country.
List of constituent African monarchs
Country notes
Cameroon
Cameroon's traditional authorities are split into first, second, and third degree
chiefdom
A chiefdom is a form of hierarchical political organization in non-industrial societies usually based on kinship, and in which formal leadership is monopolized by the legitimate senior members of select families or 'houses'. These elites form a ...
s. First degree chiefdoms contain at least two second degree chiefdoms, while second degree chiefdoms contain at least two third degree chiefdoms. Third degree chiefdoms generally contain only a village, small rural area or a small part of an urban centre. Some leaders are from ancient, pre-colonial lineages, while others are appointed by political leaders. The extent of authority between traditional authorities varies.
There are around 79 first degree chiefdoms, 875 second degree chiefdoms, and 12,582 third degree chiefdoms.
Ghana
The Constitution of the Republic of Ghana establishes the rule of traditional leaders, as well as a National House of Chiefs. All traditional leaders are registered with the National House of Chiefs as well as with the eleven Regional Houses of Chiefs, in accordance with the Chieftaincy (Membership of Regional Houses of Chiefs) Instrument, as published in the ''Gazette''.
Nigeria
For a full list of the extant Nigerian traditional states and their rulers, see
List of Nigerian traditional states
There are many traditional states in Nigeria. A partial list follows.
Although the traditional rulers no longer officially have political power, they still have considerable status in Nigeria and the power of patronage.
Except where otherwise no ...
.
Although
Nigeria's traditional monarchs are legally recognized (by way of the numerous ''Chiefs' Laws''), they don't currently have a constitutional role in the country.
South Africa
In 2004, the
Mbeki administration established the Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims (CTLDC) to determine the legitimacy of the nation's traditional kingships. The purpose of the commission was to reconstruct the institutions of indigenous leadership after their distortion under the
colonial and
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid wa ...
regimes.
In July 2010, acting on the findings of the commission, the
Zuma administration announced that the government would cease recognising a total of six of the thirteen traditional kingships upon the deaths of their incumbent monarchs.
Their successors would be recognised as "principal traditional leaders", a status yet to be defined. The commission was denounced by several senior traditional leaders, who have taken the government to court in an attempt to reverse the ruling.
Notes
Africa
Benin
Botswana
Namibia
South Africa
Uganda
See also
*
African royalty
African or Africans may refer to:
* Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa:
** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa
*** Ethn ...
(category)
*
List of current constituent Asian monarchs
References
Further reading
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{{Monarchies
Monarchs
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