60 AFRICAN POLITICAL SYSTEMS
in his ward assist and advise him; and during his absence, or aftei his death, the man next to him in line of succession, normally his eldest son by his first wife, automatically takes his place.1 Matters of importance are discussed at a general meeting of the men in the ward, the opinions they express helping the headman to reach a decision.
Where a ward has become subdivided, the headman of the parent group is the first court of appeal from the verdicts of the others. In the bigger centres outside Serowe, the ward-head senior to the rest in birth is also the headman of the whole village. As such, he can hear appeals from the verdicts of his colleagues, and has an overriding authority in all other matters, e.g. the distribution of land and the organization of collective undertakings. He is also the medium through whom the chief communicates with the inhabitants of the village.
The hereditary chieftain of each foreign community continues to rule over his people according to their own laws and customs. He controls the activities of his dependent ward and village headmen, tries cases they are unable to settle or appealed from their verdicts, and deals with other matters pertaining to the community as a whole. But he is himself subject to the authority of the chief, to whom he is responsible for the general order, peace, and good government of his adherents, and to whom also there is an appeal from his decisions.
Each community living outside tribal head-quarters was formerly placed under the protection of some prominent Ngwato motlhanka (common headman) resident in the chief's town. This man, whose responsibilities were hereditary, was expected to keep in touch with the people and their affairs, visit them periodically to collect tribute for the chief, and while there try cases brought to him on appeal. He also informed them of developments at head-quarters, looked after them whenever they came there, and transmitted their grievances to the chief. In time it became evident, with the expansion of the tribe, that many subject communities lived too far away from head-quarters for this method
1 This hereditary principle runs right through the Ngwato political system. It means in effect that the administration of any group is vested not so much in one particular person, as in the whole family of which he is the head; and that the leading member of this family present on any occasion when action must be taken is able, by virtue of his birthright, to exercise authority over the other people of the group.