Party System Competition and Private Sector Development in Africa

Abstract

Democratic transitions by many African countries have generated much analysis of the organisational features of political parties or their role in voter mobilisation during elections. Yet, scholars have largely overlooked how parties negotiate economic policymaking or interact with the private sector in countries that are incipient democracies and emerging markets. This article argues that the stability or fragmentation of the party system affects patterns of private sector development and shapes linkages between the state, business and labour. It compares Mozambique and Zambia to demonstrate how variations in party system characteristics influence the relationship between economic and political interests.

Acknowledgements

I have presented earlier versions of this paper at Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, the European Consortium on Political Research Summer School on Political Parties at Leuphana University, the University of Florida, and Georgetown University. I want to thank participants in those events for their insights and advice. I also wish to thank Professor E. A. Brett for generous and substantive comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. Funding for the research was provided by the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies and the African Studies Centre at the University of Michigan.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. See Mkandawire (2015) for an extensive review and critique of this current in the literature.

2. Although they correlate highly, I use Freedom House instead of Polity IV scores to avoid possible endogeneity because political competition is a category included in the Polity score. Combined Polity2 scores were 5 and 4.5 respectively for Mozambique (1994–2014) and Zambia (1991–2011). (see Polity IV Project, 2014).

3. Confidential interview with government official. 2008. Lusaka, Zambia.

4. Interview with A. Munguambe, Secretary General, and B. Mondlane, Secretary for Administration and Finances, Organisation of Mozambican Workers, Maputo, 26 May 2008.

5. Interview with A. Mwanakasale, Agricultural Specialist, World Bank Country Office, Lusaka, 2 June 2008 and 20 August 2008.

6. Author’s own dataset on politics and business in Mozambique and Zambia, 2016.

7. Interviews, Zambian businesses, officials at ZPA (2005 and 2008).

8. Author’s own dataset on politics and business in Mozambique and Zambia, 2016.

9. Interviews, Zambian business associations and businesspeople, Lusaka, 2008.

10. Confidential Interview, World Bank official, Maputo, 14 May 2008.

11. Interview, Munguambe and Mondlane, 2008.