{"id":9225,"date":"2018-01-16T13:54:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-16T10:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uongozi.go.tz\/?post_type=news&p=9225"},"modified":"2023-01-06T14:06:36","modified_gmt":"2023-01-06T11:06:36","slug":"africa-needs-both-strong-men-and-strong-institutions","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.uongozi.go.tz\/sw\/news\/africa-needs-both-strong-men-and-strong-institutions\/","title":{"rendered":"Africa needs both \u201cstrong-men\u201d and \u201cstrong institutions\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Gwamaka Kifukwe<\/strong><\/sub><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 11 July, 2009, the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, on his first visit to Africa, addressed the Parliament of Ghana and boldly stated:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfrica doesn\u2019t need strong men, it needs strong institutions\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was only partially correct. Africa needs both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That African institutions are weak and need to be nurtured, is unquestionable \u2013 but who will develop and nurture them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a recent Meet the Leader interview with H.E. Yoweri Museveni argued that the leadership challenge in Africa differs from other parts of the world. Using a nautical metaphor, H.E. Museveni reasoned that while leaders elsewhere in the world are concerned with steering the ship through the stormy seas of change, African leaders are simultaneously building the ship. This is in part, due to African states being still relatively young \u2013 emerging only after 1957 (Ghana). It is no surprise that many African states emphasised \u2018nation-building\u2019 as the key domestic agenda following independence, in order to undo the deep damage that the colonial experience has done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The French lawyer and philosopher, Montesqueiu (1689 \u2013 1755), articulates the critical challenge that African states face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the infancy of societies, the chiefs of state shape its institutions; later the institutions shape the chiefs of state\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, Africa needs benevolent strong men in order to build the strong institutions. And by benevolent, I here refer to having the greater good of society at the fore of all of their thoughts and activities. Tragically in Africa, we are all-too-well acquainted with strong-men and -women whom are not benevolent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Returning to President Obama, the United States of America, the \u2018shiny beacon on the hill\u2019, and bastion of the Republican values. The phrase \u2018Republican values\u2019 refers to the political ideology that advocates for a political system grounded by the rule of law, the rights of individuals, and the sovereignty of the people \u2013 as opposed to feudal monarchies and other political systems. Famously, the American revolution (1763 \u2013 1783, with the Declaration of Independence made in 1776) was grounded on the principle of \u201cNo taxation, without representation\u201d and the British American colonies rejecting the rule of the British Parliament without being able to send their own representatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, often overlooked is the fact that the Declaration of Independence was drafted by a \u201cCommittee of Five\u201d, consisting of John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, Robert R. Livingston of New York, and Roger Sherman of Connecticut. It was signed by a total fifty-six representatives from each of the thirteen colonies (with a population of roughly 2.5 Million citizens). The \u2018American Revolution\u2019 split communities between Loyalists (to the Crown of England) and Patriots (Colonists seeking independence). Since independence, America has had its fair share of strongmen (benevolent and otherwise) that have shaped the development of its present-day institutions. These have evolved as circumstances have changed, but the key early figures such as Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, James Madison, Thomas Paine, etc. remain relevant and influential to present day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Africa is still seeking such benevolent strong men and women to establish, nurture, enhance, and tinker with our institutions. After all, this is the key responsibility and \u2018deliverable\u2019 of leaders and of leadership: adjusting our institutions to enable the advancement and prosperity of their societies, in the circumstances they find themselves in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have our liberation heroes, our Fathers of the Nation, and a few and other pillars of moral authority and champions of the African cause \u2013 however, it is no secret that we clamour for \u2018the next generation\u2019 that will deliver \u2018Africa\u2019s second liberation\u2019. As long as our institutions remain fragile, we will continue to be more dependent on the benevolence of strong men and women to lend their strength to establishing the permanency of institutions, than for institutions to provide checks and balances to those intent on abusing their positions and abandoning their responsibilities. It is incumbent on our leaders of today and tomorrow, to keep this in mind if our development and transformation are to be successful and sustainable. This will take time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The African Union recognised this under its third of seven aspirations of the \u2018Agenda 2063\u2019 \u2013 An African of good governance, democracy, respect for Human Rights, justice and the rule of <\/em>law. And this challenge is not unique to Africa. Indeed, the Sustainable Development Goals recognise this challenge across the world under Goal 16 \u2013 Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions are all levels<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

H.E. Museveni correctly summarises the leadership challenge facing Africa. The onus is on African citizens, and African political parties, to prepare and elect appropriate representatives that we believe can deliver sustainable solutions to the challenges facing the continent. These solutions in turn, will provide the foundations for the next generation of leaders to develop and guide as they encounter the emerging and future challenges of the future.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9226,"parent":0,"template":"","news-categories":[],"class_list":["post-9225","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nAfrica needs both \u201cstrong-men\u201d and \u201cstrong institutions\u201d - UONGOZI Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uongozi.go.tz\/sw\/news\/africa-needs-both-strong-men-and-strong-institutions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Africa needs both \u201cstrong-men\u201d and \u201cstrong institutions\u201d - UONGOZI Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Gwamaka Kifukwe On 11 July, 2009, the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, on his first visit to Africa, addressed the Parliament of Ghana and boldly stated: \u201cAfrica doesn\u2019t need strong men, it needs strong institutions\u201d He was only partially correct. 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