RECONCEPTUALISING EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP: UKUBUYISANA AND KINTSUGI AS DECOLONIAL FRAMEWORKS FOR INSTITUTIONAL REPAIR IN SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS

Abstract

This study explored how ukubuyisana – an isiZulu concept of relational repair and reconciliation
- can serve as a culturally grounded framework for leadership development among principals in
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Paired with the Japanese Kintsugi philosophy of highlighting
rather than hiding cracks, the study reimagines fractured school systems not as broken beyond
repair, but as sites for transformation, where damage becomes part of a more meaningful and
equitable whole. Using a participatory action research approach and photovoice methodology,
school principals captured and discussed photographs taken on mobile devices that reflected
the “cracks” in their educational environments - such as resource inequality, emotional
exhaustion, and structural neglect. The visual method enabled accessible and multilingual
expression, supporting engagement across economic and linguistic barriers. Findings show that
integrating ukubuyisana and Kintsugi fosters reflective, restorative leadership practices.
Principals moved from managerial problem-solving to relational accountability, drawing on
community knowledge and shared vulnerability as sources of strength. Rather than simply
repairing the old, participants began to reimagine new leadership possibilities rooted in dignity,
equity, and care. This study contributes to decolonial scholarship in education by offering a
hybrid, praxis-oriented model for leadership development. It suggests that celebrating what
remains - rather than fixing what is missing - can be a powerful act of epistemic and institutional
repair in contexts of historical and ongoing educational injustice.

Keywords: decoloniality; leadership; photovoice; South Africa education; ukubuyisana