The Evolution of African Democracy
Kholisile David Dhliwayo
Africa University, Mutare, Zimbabwe
This study is premised on the definition of democracy as an experiment in which people are involved in authoritative decision making. It takes into account the view that conditions differ from culture to culture and because of that it is appropriate to define democracy within the context of historical experiences and the primacy of tradition. It is in that context that the title of this book is appropriately called The Evolution of African Democracy.
In analysing The Evolution of African Democracy it is appropriate to examine the political and economic roots of this democracy, and it is precisely for that reason that special attention is paid to a thorough and surgical analysis of Kemet sometimes referred to as Ancient Egypt, the civilization created by residents of the Nile Valley some 5000 years ago a civilization whose impact on the rest of Africa, serious scholars cannot ignore. This civilization provides us with a clear explanation of how a common African culture eventually emerged premised on democracy. Additionally this civilization and its impact planted the roots of Pan Africanism, a concept that shows that Africans have common views about themselves and nature.
What has emerged from this study is that the African democratic culture after surviving challenges posed by external powerful undemocratic and dictatorial forces is being provided with a new trajectory by both the organization of African Unity and the successor organization the African Union, the two continental organizations created by the African political leadership to ensure and guarantee the continuity of African democracy.
ISBN 9783862888948. LINCOM Studies in Politics 03. 54pp. 2018.
