Managing Change and Development Through Strategic Leadership and Governance in South African Social Movements

Abstract

Proactive and reactionary social movements emerged throughout the world in response to inter-sectoral issues such as health, education, economy, environment. For managing and sustenance of social movements, forging collective identity, social mobilisation and campaigning, accountability and usage of demonstrations are fundamental. An effective use of these mechanisms are dependent on having strategic leadership and governance institutionalised to manage and sustain organisational change and development. This chapter therefore explores the strategic leadership and governance imperative for managing and sustaining organisational change and development within the context of South African social movements. Social movements such as Abahlali-baseMjondolo (informal settlement) and Treatment Act Campaign (health) were used as case studies to explore the dynamics that underpin social movements in their quest to manage transformational change and development.