Freedom Giant: Selase Wilmot Kwami (Political Commentator) Date: 22nd August, 2025
Selase Wilmot Kwami is a political commentator with a deep passion for African issues. His vision is to drive meaningful change across the continent, fostering a self-reliant Africa that thrives on its own terms. Through insightful analysis and thought-provoking commentary, Selase aims to inspire a new era of African progress and development.
Introduction
Democracy has long been seen by political leaders and commentators as the best form of governance. It relies on the rule of law, accountability, and citizen participation. Often, it is regarded as the gold standard for political legitimacy. However, in Africa, these expectations have mostly not been realised. With a few exceptions like Botswana, Mauritius, and Ghana, many African countries have struggled with peaceful power transitions, consistent policy direction, and stable economic growth.
These challenges raise questions about whether the multi-party democracy currently practised is suitable for Africa or if it needs adjustments to fit the continent’s unique history, culture, and social realities.
Imported Democracy and the Colonial Legacy
The democratic model in Africa today largely stems from colonial rule. Upon gaining independence, many new states adopted the administrative and political systems of their colonizers, often with little change. This led to a mismatch between these imported systems and local realities.
Before colonization, African societies had various traditional governance structures. Some were monarchies; others operated through councils of elders or consensus-driven assemblies. While these systems had their flaws, they were rooted in local culture and often ensured accountability and social cohesion. Colonial powers dismantled these systems and replaced them with institutions unfamiliar to African contexts.
Today’s multi-party democracies reflect this legacy. While they have brought some progress, they have also led to weak institutions, political instability, and repeated coups.
Weak Institutions and External Vulnerability
As former U.S. President Barack Obama noted, Africa needs strong institutions. This statement still holds true. Across much of the continent, state institutions are vulnerable to capture by elites and outside interference. Instead of acting as checks and balances, legislatures, judiciaries, and regulatory bodies often serve the interests of the ruling parties.
The effects are evident: widespread corruption, poor accountability, and weak enforcement of the law. For instance, unpopular taxes like the E-levy and COVID levy in Ghana were pushed through despite public dissent, adding to citizens’ economic strain. This shows how fragile institutions cannot stop governments from making unpopular or harmful decisions.
Election-Centric Governance
Another issue in Africa’s democratic practice is its focus on elections. Often, governance is reduced to the cycle of seeking re-election. Political parties may overlook performance in the early years and rush to complete visible projects in the final year to win votes.
This election-centered thinking harms long-term development. Road projects, for example, are sometimes initiated just before elections and then abandoned with a change in power, wasting public funds and halting progress. Without ways to ensure policy continuity, development gives way to party interests.
Power Consolidation and Constitutional Manipulation
Instead of empowering citizens, democracy has often been used by elites to solidify their power. Some leaders manipulate constitutions to extend their terms, suppress rivals, or influence the judiciary in their favor.
This has led to long-standing presidencies like Paul Biya in Cameroon, Teodoro Obiang in Equatorial Guinea, and Alassane Ouattara in Côte d’Ivoire. Such actions erode public trust, heighten political conflict, and damage the credibility of democratic governance.
Ethnic and Regional Polarisation
Multi-party systems have also intensified ethnic and regional divides. In Ghana, for instance, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is often linked with the Akan majority, while the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is associated with minority groups like the Ewe and Ga. When parties gain power, they are seen as favoring their ethnic base in resource distribution and projects.
This creates inequality and fosters long-term resentment, underlining the urgent need for political systems that move beyond ethnic patronage. One possible solution is to adopt binding national development plans that ensure equitable growth across all regions, regardless of electoral loyalties.
Learning From Alternatives
The failures of democracy in Africa do not mean that authoritarianism is the solution. Instead, Africa should learn from its traditional systems and hybrid governance models.
Botswana successfully combines traditional councils (kgotla) with parliamentary democracy.
Rwanda, though centralized and often viewed as autocratic, has achieved stability and development following the 1994 genocide.
Pre-colonial systems like the Igbo consensus councils, Ashanti Confederacy, and Somali Xeer illustrate how locally rooted governance can enhance legitimacy and accountability.
To build a better future, Africa may need to merge these traditions with modern institutions, developing frameworks that prioritize developmental outcomes over strict adherence to imported models.
Beyond Leadership Transitions
Democracy in Africa has become too focused on leadership changes, neglecting urgent socio-economic issues. Persistent problems like poverty, unemployment, healthcare, and infrastructure deficits remain. Ultimately, the length of leadership should matter less than the results of governance. A leader who achieves sustainable development and social justice may be more legitimate than one who merely fulfills electoral cycles.
A Call for Reform
For democracy to be meaningful in Africa, it must be reimagined. This requires gathering a wide range of stakeholders—policy experts, civil society, traditional leaders, entrepreneurs, and citizens—to create governance systems that address Africa’s specific needs.
These systems should not just mimic foreign models but reflect Africa’s history, values, and aspirations. The legitimacy of governance should be based not on following imported democratic rituals but on delivering peace, prosperity, and justice for all.
Conclusion
Democracy, as it exists in Africa today, has not met its promise. Weak institutions, election-focused politics, power consolidation, and ethnic divisions have weakened their effectiveness. However, this failure is not inevitable; it is the result of applying an imported model without the necessary adjustments.
Now is the time for Africa to rethink governance, drawing on its traditions and innovating new systems that prioritize the people’s needs. Democracy can still be part of the solution, but it must be reshaped by Africans and for Africans.
AFRICAN VOICES INTERNATIONAL, FREEDOM IN AFRICA
Author: Selase Wilmot Kwami
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