The distorted democracy in Africa: Examining the cases of South Africa, Libya and Ivory Coast

Abstract

Although Western powers preach democracy to African countries, these same Western powers undermine democracy in Africa and confiscate it. How? African elected governments must somehow also ‘buy’ another round of legitimacy from Western powers by promising to attend to Western strategic interests (if you are in opposition) and by attending to those Western strategic interests (if you are the incumbent government in power); otherwise they are removed from power by force. Consequently, other leaders less scrupulous and ‘less nationalist’ are hoisted to power; the main stake being the control of Africa's immense, untapped natural resources. In both cases, it is the people of Africa who suffer. Their countries' vast natural and mineral resources as well as ‘democratic elections’ become a curse for them. Elections therefore provide both an overt and covert legitimacy of power. This article examines the cases of South Africa, Libya and Ivory Coast to show the distorted democracy in Africa.

Keywords:

• democracy and good governance
• sustainable development
• elections
• legitimacy
• strategic interests

Acknowledgements

This paper is expanded and revised version based on the draft already posted on Pambazuka News website (http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/76501).

Notes

¹USAID cites a number of obstacles which hinder the consolidation of democratic political systems in Africa, including: entrenched political leaders, a lack of checks and balances, the high incidence of conflict, endemic corruption, legal restrictions on civil society, ethnic grievances, and a lack of a democratic political culture, adding that a recent spate of coups, ethnic conflict, suppression of civil society, and political stalemates between opposing factions suggest a trend of democratic backsliding across all regions of Africa. For more information, please see USAID (2011).

²African countries are told to democratize, ensure good governance, good business climate, etc. Nowadays they must also uphold gay rights otherwise Western aid will be denied them.

³ Uhuru is a Swahili word which means freedom (socio-political and economic freedom).

⁴The exclusive neighbourhood of Sandton boasts everything: large and spacious houses, parks, shopping malls, corporate headquarters, hotels and a high tax base to support ample amenities and services. The residents – whites and a few better-off blacks – are protected by walls, electrified fencing and private security firms constantly on patrol.

⁵These movements called for land redistribution and economic redistribution of wealth that is concentrated in the hands of a tiny racist white minority; and intensify their demand for nationalization of mines, banks and other monopoly industries.

⁶See Gumede (2012). Here Gumede suggests that Malema seems to have convinced some of South Africa's disenchanted poor that nationalization of the mines, banks and land – all mainly still in white hands – can provide an economic nirvana, creating jobs and opportunities for all.

⁷Afrique Dossier/Réseau Nerrati Presse (2011). Here you can view Gaddafi's recent photos taken almost with all the world leaders.

⁸See Radyuhin (2011). In its first report on the state of human rights in the world, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused the United States and NATO of large-scale violations of human rights during the military operation in Libya, including the deliberate murder of its leader Muammar Gaddafi and the killing of hundreds of civilians.

⁹Tenere is a desert region of the Sahara that stretches from northeast Niger to western Chad.

¹⁰See Center for Defense Information (2005). Here, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) is described as ‘a band of radical Islamists’ dedicated to overthrowing the regime of Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi and replacing it with a government modelled on Sharia law, with special attention to the Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad. The LIFG believes that the Gaddafi regime is oppressive, corrupt and apostate.

¹¹The gains of Islamists' rules are still to be seen: young Tunisians are voting with their feet, leaving their country in their tens of thousands, unemployment has doubled and 50% of the economy remains largely informal; protests against the military still rock Egypt.