How does the nature of African governments limit development? Politics of Development in Africa

Issues Political instability Domestic policies Poor governance Kleptocracy and corruption

Political instability In recent history many African countries have experienced drastic political changes From there were 186 military coups and 15 African presidents were assassinated

What is a military coup? A military coup, or coup d’etat, is when the military uses force to get rid of the government Often, the military go on to take control of the country, leading to a military regime

Political Situation in the Central African Republic since Independence – Restricted Democratic Practice – One Party State (MESAN) – Military Regime & One Party State – One Party State (MESAN) – Transitional Period – One Party State (UDC) –1981 Restricted Democratic Practice – Military Regime – One Party State (RDC) – Multiparty Transition – Democracy – Military Regime –2005- Democracy

Political instability hinders development Why? –Leaders focus on simply holding onto power –Expensive projects which would lead to long term development (e.g. developing roads, telecommunications, health and education) are neglected

However… Stable government is not always good for development –Robert Mugabe has been president of Zimbabwe since 1980 but the country is experiencing major problems

Domestic policies Many African governments are poor at creating and implementing policies for development –Many spend more on military than on essential services E.g. Eritrea spend 19% of GDP on military but only 4% on education) –Tariffs and minimum prices which prevent them increasing their share of international trade Cotton trade has frozen in Malawi due to high minimum prices imposed by the government Eritrea Life Expectancy: male, female Infant mortality: deaths/1000 live births Where is Eritrea?

Poor governance This is a factor in a lot of Africa’s problems Features of bad governments: –‘amateur’ politicians in place who got their jobs through nepotism and/or military coups 32 African countries experienced military rule during the 20 th century – soldiers are not trained politicians –Police cannot be trusted –Taxes are not collected effectively –Government cannot be counted on to deliver key services –Human rights are abused

Kleptocracy Many African states are kleptocracies –A kleptocracy is a system in which leaders use their power to benefit themselves Those who go along with the system get to share the rewards, while those who speak out suffer

How big is the problem? Of course, not all African politicians are corrupt However, late Nigerian Dictator Sani Abacha stole between $1 billion and $3 billion in the space of 5 years All this corruption diverts money away from aid projects and essential services

Addicted to aid

Remember… not all governments are inept and corrupt – there are many examples of good governance in Africa Ghana and Botswana are seen as solid democracies Ghana: Supporters campaign for John Atta Mills, who went on to win the 2008 presidential election

Case study Uganda: The Poverty Eradication Action Plan Aim: to reduce poverty Features: –modernisation of agriculture –expansion and diversification of exports –reducing corruption –improving electric power supplies Successes: 6% economic growth rate Challenges: many Ugandans feel that they are becoming poorer while a small group are getting the benefits