Posted: 12 May 2011. Almost at a stroke, the relationships between African governments and the major powers and major sources of concessional finance were upended, while political liberalization in the former Soviet bloc helped to trigger global political shock waves. Changes in economic and political systems trigger the need for new institutional systems to manage the new economic and political systems, while endurance of economic and political systems foster durability of existing institutional systems. PDF African Governance Systems in the Pre and Post-Independence Periods Ten years later, in 2017, the number of conflicts was 18, taking place in 13 different countries. The problems that face African governments are universal. Another category of chiefs is those who theoretically are subject to selection by the community. 79 (3), (1995) pp. This article contends that postcolonial African traditional institutions lie in a continuum between the highly decentralized to the centralized systems and they all have resource allocation practices, conflict resolution and judicial systems, and decision-making practices, which are distinct from those of the state. TRADITIONAL AUTHORITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT - Modish Project Recent developments add further complications to the region: (a) the collapse of Libya after 2011, spreading large quantities of arms and trained fighters across the broader Sahel region; (b) the gradual toll of desertification placing severe pressure on traditional herder/farmer relationships in places like Sudan and Nigeria; and, (c) the proliferation of local IS or Al Qaeda franchises in remote, under-governed spaces. African traditional administrative system with bureaucratization in the emerged new states of Africa. Another common feature is the involvement of traditional authorities in the governance process, at least at the local level. Given its institutional disconnect with the state, the traditional sector and the communities that operate under it invariably face marginalization in influencing policy as well as in access to economic resources throughout the continent. Similarly, the process of conflict resolution is undertaken in an open assembly and is intended to reconcile parties in conflict rather than to merely punish offenders. These features include nonprofits, non-profits and hybrid entities are now provide goods and services that were once delivered by the government. Rule that is based on predation and political monopoly is unlikely to enjoy genuine popular legitimacy, but it can linger for decades unless there are effective countervailing institutions and power centers. This point links the reader to the other Africa chapters that have been prepared for this project. Building an inclusive political system also raises the question of what levels of the society to include and how to assure that local communities as well as groups operating at the national level can get their voices heard. Three layers of institutions characterize most African countries. Another driver of governance trends will be the access enjoyed by youthful and rapidly urbanizing populations to the technologies that are changing the global communications space. Careful analysis suggests that African traditional institutions lie in a continuum between the highly decentralized to the centralized systems and they all have resource allocation practices, conflict resolution, judicial systems, and decision-making practices, which are distinct from those of the state. A long-term route to political and economic success has been comprehensively documented by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson in their global study of why nations fail or succeed. Africa's tumultuous political history has resulted in extreme disparities between the wealth and stability of its countries. Your current browser may not support copying via this button. One is the controversy over what constitutes traditional institutions and if the African institutions referred to as traditional in this inquiry are truly indigenous traditions, since colonialism as well as the postcolonial state have altered them notably, as Zack-Williams (2002) and Kilson (1966) observe. An election bound to be held in the year 2019 will unveil the new . Unfortunately, little attention by African governments has been given to this paradoxical aspect of traditional institutions. State Systems in Pre-colonial, Colonial and Post-colonial - Jstor In most African countries, constitutionally established authorities exercise the power of government alongside traditional authorities. Stagnant economy, absence of diversification in occupational patterns and allegiance to traditionall these have a bearing on the system of education prevailing in these societies. A second argument is that traditional institutions are hindrances to the development of democratic governance (Mamdani, 1996; Ntsebeza, 2005). The cases of Nigeria, Kenya, and South Sudan suggest that each case must be assessed on its own merits. In light of this discussion of types of inclusion, the implications for dealing with state fragility and building greater resilience can now be spelled out. The purpose is to stress that such efforts and the attendant will The system of government in the traditional Yoruba society was partially centralised and highly democratic. Executive, legislative, and judicial functions are generally attributed by most modern African constitutions to presidents and prime ministers, parliaments, and modern judiciaries. The optimistic replyand it is a powerful oneis that Africans will gradually build inclusive political and economic institutions.18 This, however, requires wise leadership. African countries are characterized by fragmentation of various aspects of their political economy, including their institutions of governance. Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural, include belief in a supreme creator, belief in spirits, veneration of the dead, use of magic and traditional African . In many tribes, the chief was the representative of the ancestors. Chieftaincy is further plagued with its own internal problems, including issues of relevance, succession, patriarchy, jurisdiction, corruption and intra-tribal conflict. This concept paper focuses on the traditional system of governance in Africa including their consensual decision-making models, as part of a broader effort to better define and advocate their role in achieving good governance. These consisted of monarchy, aristocracy and polity. African Political Systems - Wikipedia Pre-colonial Administration of the Yorubas. It then analyzes the implications of the dual allegiance of the citizenry to chiefs and the government. The leaders in this system have significant powers, as they often are custodians of their communitys land and they dispense justice in their courts. Pastoral economic systems, for example, foster communal land tenure systems that allow unhindered mobility of livestock, while a capitalist economic system requires a private land ownership system that excludes access to others and allows long-term investments on land. Music is a form of communication and it plays a functional role in African society . South Africas strategy revolves around recognition of customary law when it does not conflict with the constitution and involves traditional authorities in local governance. They are less concerned with doctrines and much more so with rituals . Certain offences were regarded as serious offences. Figure 1 captures this turn to authoritarianism in postindependence Africa. Public Administration and Traditional Administrative System in Africa Executive, legislative, and judicial functions are generally attributed by most modern African constitutions to presidents and prime ministers, parliaments, and modern judiciaries. The third section deals with the post-colonial period and discusses some problems associated with African administration. The nature of governance is central because it determines whether the exercise of authority is viewed as legitimate. A more recent argument is that traditional institutions are incompatible with economic, social, and civil rights (Chirayath, Sage, & Woolcock, 2005). This proposal will be subject to a referendum on the constitutional changes required.16.2e 2.4 Traditional leadership Traditional leaders are accorded Traditional leadership in South Africa pre-existed both the colonial and apartheid systems of governance and was the main known system of governance amongst indigenous people. The implementation of these systems often . Chief among them is that they remain key players in governing and providing various types of service in the traditional sector of the economy because of their compatibility with that economic system. 3. These events point to extreme state fragility and a loss of sovereign control over violence in the 11 affected countries, led by Nigeria, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic (CAR). On the opposite side are the decentralized systems, led by a council of elders, that command little formal power. Beyond such macro factors, several less obvious variables seem important to the political and economic governance future of the region. Access to Justice In Sub-Saharan Africa: Role of Traditional and Some African nations are prosperous while others struggle. Strictly speaking, Ghana was the title of the King, but the Arabs, who left records . Poor gender relations: Traditional institutions share some common weaknesses. However, they do not have custodianship of land and they generally do not dispense justice on their own. In addition to these measures, reconciling fragmented institutions would be more successful when governments invest more resources in transforming the traditional socioeconomic space. The kings and chiefs of Angola and Asante, for example, allowed European merchants to send their representatives to their courts. In Africa, as in every region, it is the quality and characteristics of governance that shape the level of peace and stability and the prospects for economic development. THE FUTURE OF AFRICAN CUSTOMARY LAW, Fenrich, Galizzi, Higgins, eds., Cambridge University Press, 2011, Available at SSRN: If you need immediate assistance, call 877-SSRNHelp (877 777 6435) in the United States, or +1 212 448 2500 outside of the United States, 8:30AM to 6:00PM U.S. Eastern, Monday - Friday. Such a consensus-building mechanism can help resolve many of the conflicts related to diversity management and nation-building. It seems clear that Africas conflict burden declined steadily after the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s owing to successful peace processes outstripping the outbreak of new conflicts; but the burden has been spiking up again since then. MyHoover delivers a personalized experience atHoover.org. It assigned them new roles while stripping away some of their traditional roles. This enhanced his authority. The quality and durability of such leader-defined adaptive resilience cannot be assured and can be reversed unless the associated norms become institutionalized. The Role and Significance of Traditional Leadership in South African At times, devolution has had major fiscal and governance consequences, including serving as a vehicle for co-option and corruption. In this respect, they complement official courts that are often unable to provide court services to all their rural communities. the system even after independence. Another reason is that African leaders of the postcolonial state, who wanted to consolidate their power, did not want other points of power that would compromise their control. The institution of traditional leadership in Africa pre-existed both the colonial and apartheid systems and was the only known system of governance among indigenous people. Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. It considers the nature of the state in sub-Saharan Africa and why its state structures are generally weaker than elsewhere in the world. Ndlela (2007: 34) confirms that traditional leaders continue to enjoy their role and recognition in the new dispensation, just like in other African states; and Good (2002: 3) argues that the system of traditional leadership in Botswana exists parallel to the democratic system of government and the challenge is of forging unity. Traditional African Religions - The Spiritual Life African Style Democracy? - Public Seminar Problems and Purpose. References: Blakemore and Cooksey (1980). Some African leaders such as Ghanas Jerry Rawlings, Zambias Kenneth Kaunda, or Mozambiques Joachim Chissano accept and respect term limits and stand down. For example, the election day itself goes more or less peacefully, the vote tabulation process is opaque or obscure, and the entire process is shaped by a pre-election playing field skewed decisively in favor of the incumbents. The long-term, global pushback by the leading authoritarian powers against liberal governance norms has consequences in Africa and other regions as governments directly act to close the space for civil society to operate. The terms Afrocentrism, Afrocology, and Afrocentricity were coined in the 1980s by the African American scholar and activist Molefi Asante. African political systems are described in a number of textbooks and general books on African history. There is strong demand for jobs, better economic management, reduced inequality and corruption and such outcome deliverables as health, education and infrastructure.22 Those outcomes require effective governance institutions. David and Joan Traitel Building & Rental Information, National Security, Technology & Law Working Group, Middle East and the Islamic World Working Group, Military History/Contemporary Conflict Working Group, Technology, Economics, and Governance Working Group, Answering Challenges to Advanced Economies, Understanding the Effects of Technology on Economics and Governance, Support the Mission of the Hoover Institution. African Politics: A Very Short Introduction | Oxford Academic Admittedly, the problem is by no means uniquely African, but it is very commonly experienced in Africa. Command economies, as opposed to free-market economies, do not allow market forces like supply and demand to determine production or prices. This category of chiefs serves their communities in various and sometimes complex roles, which includes spiritual service. Government and the Political System 2.1. The Chinese understand the basics. Impact of Historical Origins of African State System2. Click here to get an answer to your question Discuss any similarities between the key features of the fourth republican democracy and the traditional afri Despite such changes, these institutions are referred to as traditional not because they continue to exist in an unadulterated form as they did in Africas precolonial past but because they are largely born of the precolonial political systems and are adhered to principally, although not exclusively, by the population in the traditional (subsistent) sectors of the economy. This approach to governance was prominent in the Oyo empire. The end of colonialism, however, did not end institutional dichotomy, despite attempts by some postcolonial African states to abolish the traditional system, especially the chieftaincy-based authority systems. Regardless, fragmentation of institutional systems poses a number of serious challenges to Africas governance and economic development. Misguided policies at the national level combined with cultural constraints facing these social groups may increase exclusion and create seeds of future trouble. Council of elders: These systems essentially operate on consensual decision-making arrangements that vary from one place to another. Africas rural communities, which largely operate under subsistent economic systems, overwhelmingly adhere to the traditional institutional systems while urban communities essentially follow the formal institutional systems, although there are people who negotiate the two institutional systems in their daily lives. African Governance: Challenges and Their Implications. These include macro variables such as educational access (especially for women), climate change impact and mitigation, development and income growth rates, demographic trends, internet access, urbanization rates, and conflict events. Customary law, for example, does not protect communities from violations of their customary land rights through land-taking by the state. Abstract. Authority in this system was shared or distributed to more people within the community. As institutional scholars state, institutional incompatibility leads to societal conflicts by projecting different laws governing societal interactions (Eisenstadt, 1968; Helmke & Levitsky, 2004; March & Olsen, 1984; North, 1990; Olsen, 2007). To learn more, visit The structures of leadership of African traditional institutions are diverse and they have yet to be mapped out comprehensively. It is too soon to tell whether such institutions can evolve in modern Africa as a result of gradual tinkering with reformist agendas, as the legacy of wise leaders; or whether they will only happen as a result of fundamental tests of strength between social and political groups. Highlight 5 features of government. 28, (1984) pp. This study points to a marked increase in state-based conflicts, owing in significant part to the inter-mixture of Islamic State factions into pre-existing conflicts. The modern African state system has been gradually Africanized, albeit on more or less the identical territorial basis it began with at the time of decolonization in the second half of the 20th century.