Most African politicians struggle to maintain the loyalty and obedience of citizens, activists, NGOs, the media, civil servants, religious leaders, artists, and opposition parties.
The ruling party may be legitimate through elections; however, after a while, people shift their allegiance to the opposition or stay apolitical.
In autocratic countries like Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi and Uganda, Governments appealing to violence or deploying national resources to counter the good will of activists or citizens who stand out is the favourable tactic. For example, political assassinations and detection without trials, abduction or disappearance of activists and proponent members of oppositions are common and justifiable simply by a single statement from police units or court or a word from executive members and top leaders in the ruling party to deny responsibility.
Citizenry shift of loyalty to opposition or demotivated to become apolitical can be triggered by a number of factors such as unreasonable economic and fiscal policies, failure to deliver promised agenda, corruption, irresponsibility, poverty, underdevelopment and nepotism. Simply put, dire political, economic, and social conditions mainly turn people against their favourite candidates.
Does the shift of loyalty guarantee political or civil instabilities? The answer is yes and no! Suppose opposition parties and activists are not well supervised. In that case, they can organise violence in the name of peaceful demonstrations and recruit youths, the unemployed, and vulnerable groups to participate in exchange for a leader who will return the favour while in office.
If the ruling party is well established and entrenched in state resources and apparatuses, there is no chance of violence, instabilities, or even a demonstration. This reminds me of political situations during the Magufuli regime in Tanzania.
Does the struggle to restore loyalty influence autocratic or authoritarian governments? The answer is yes and no! In most developing countries, democracy is not the only game in town. People may appeal to support a military coup or other undemocratic tactics to get rid of the government. On the other hand, the government may opt to centralise power and decision-making platforms to allow opinions that reflect their interests.
In countries like Tanzania, Uganda, and Malawi, suffering from restored loyalty does affect democracy. However, it does not result in a complete regression of democratic practices; rather, opposition parties, activists, and NGOs suffer the consequences.
How could the government restore loyalty and trust from their constituencies
- Formulation of sound economic and fiscal policiesÂ
- Promote civil participation in decision-making processes and public debate so that citizens feel they own the policies.
- Encouraging Civil societies and NGOs to play a part in the state and market to foster national development.
- Introduction of initiatives intended to empower groups that feel unprivileged and vulnerable, such as youth and women
- Supporting opposition parties to grow and participate in national-building initiatives
- Accept failure, acknowledge loss and engage citizens to find reasonable solutions through public opinions
- Co-operate with like-minded countries to build economic and consolidate democracy.
- Encouraging inclusivity in the parliament.
- Establish an independent legal system and impartial justices and judges.
- Practical implementation of political, social, technological and economic policies.
- Invest in research and civil education to consolidate democracy.
Democracy may be expensive, but a military regime is unbearable, and Africa is not ready to pay or not even capable of standing the loss after the impact that is suffocating our economy from the slave trade to colonialism. It’s only a fool who will choose to be under an authoritarian regime that appeals to threats and violence to citizens for continuity.
Democracy has nothing to do with whether the country receives funds from USAID or UKAID; democracy is a commitment to grow, to civilise, and to acknowledge that our individuality is a blessing and should be cherished through rule and law that protects every one of us to develop and realise the highest personal demand or goal because we believe it’s for the common good and not otherwise.
The economic achievement of China should not blind us to the idea that autocracy is the key to solving our financial setbacks. Moreover, Russia and North Korea are reluctant to rule by the law, and interdependence should not be an exemplar of military advancement and technological skyrocket. It’s never good to paint ego as the inherent essence of our sovereign states. We should choose to represent humanity and respect human rights and dignity.
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