Road Companion to Democracy and Meritocracy: Further Essays from an African Perspective

1. Democracy and Development in Africa: Putting the Horse before the Cart

3 1 Democracy and Development in Africa: Putting the Horse before the Cart1 * Introduction Before the colonial intervention in the history of Africa, the continent was politically composed of various Kingdoms (Fondoms), some of which were relatively large (e.g. Ghana, Songhai, Benin, Bornu, Sokoto) and others relatively small (e.g. Nso,’ Bali, Bafut, Kom). Sometimes these Kingdoms were at war against one another, but, for the most part, they cohabited quite peacefully. Within each Kingdom, the political system that predominated can perhaps best be described as a harmonious marriage between autocratic dictatorship and popular democracy. For while the King or Queen generally appeared very powerful (especially from outside) and his/her word could frequently condemn anyone to death, s/he was, nevertheless, subject to very strict control, not only by means of taboos but from institutions and personalities of very high moral authority and integrity whose main preoccupation was protection and safeguarding of the Kingdom as distinguished from the King, the interests of the ordinary person, the land, the ancestors and the unborn. Examples of the type of institutions and personalities alluded to here are, to take examples from my own natal background, Nwerong or Kwifon, Yeenwerong, Nggang, Kighevshuu, priests/ priestesses, sages, and Angaashiv who usually combined the functions of medical doctor, priest, psychiatrist, psychologist and exorcist. These controls were an effective safeguard against dictatorial or arbitrary misuse and abuse of power and authority. The privileges and advantages of kingly power in Nso’ arguably only balance, more or less, its responsibilities, restrictions and dangers. In this situation it was not uncommon to witness the King/ Queen publicly atoning for a mistake s/he had committed or a taboo s/he had wittingly or unwittingly broken. As recently as 1989, the Fon of Nso,’ Ngga’Bi’fon III (1983-1993), performed such a public act of atonement at the instance of Ngwerong. The Nso’ greatly revere and almost unquestioningly obey their King and concede extensive 4 Road Companion to Democracy and Meritocracy powers to him which are, however, considered as held in trust and reciprocity. The Nso’ say: Nso’ dze Nso’ bi Fon a Fon dze Fon bi Nso’ (The Nso’ are what they are because of their King and the King is King because of the Nso’). As an institution, the Fon is considered immortal; he does not die, he only “disappears.” As a person, however, the Fon is frequently reminded of his weakness and powerlessness and sometimes called In some traditional African Kingdoms, the King/Queen could even be quietly executed or asked to voluntarily drink poison if his/her continued reign was considered dangerous for the survival and/or well-being of the Kingdom. It may not be very easy for people of western cultures to understand this state of affairs. Today Africa can be aptly described as a crises-ridden continent: politically, economically, socially, environmentally, educationally, health-wise, etc. And yet Africa can equally well also be aptly described as the richest continent on earth: geographically, climatically, historically, culturally, linguistically, resource-wise, etc. Why is Africa so poor in spite of her riches? Is Africa poor because of her riches? Wherever we turn today in Africa, we seem to encounter some disaster or catastrophe, natural or human-made, all mutually self reinforcing and self-sustaining: famine, drought, war, civil strife, epidemics, extreme poverty, mass unemployment, despair and hopelessness, etc. Now, where did Africa go wrong? At what point did she miss the road and how can she retrace her steps back onto the right path of development, prosperity, peace and tranquillity? My own proposal here is that Africa must first put together her political act, that is, install genuine democratic systems on firm and solid democratic structures before other good things could possibly follow. I subscribe to Nkwame Nkrumah’s famous idea: Seek first the political kingdom and other things shall follow! Such democratic structures and systems can freely borrow from foreign systems and influences but should be founded and grounded on Africa’s own traditional systems shorn of their undesirable elements and appropriately modernised. 5 Democracy and Development in Africa The Monistic Tyrannies of Western Culture Western political theory and practice would seem to be governed by an irreconcilable binary antagonism between dictatorship and democracy. In fact, the history of western philosophy in general is suffused and governed by binary thinking and antagonism between alternatives often conceived as mutually exclusive and irreconcilable: the...