The “wind of change” that blew across Africa in the 1960s seems to have had little effect on the African perception of leadership and power. A country like Zimbabwe has not seen a change of face at the helm of power since independence in 1980. In many other countries, leaders continue to be chased from power through coups or other forms of violence. The rest simply stay in power until they reach that stage when in Shakespeare's words "authority denies a dying king." This was the stage reached by Mobutu after 30 years of brutal dictatorship.
Ageing Dinosaurs: Comparing Africa Leaders with a Beast
African leaders have often been compared to dinosaurs. This does not only allude to the devouring character of the beast, but also its lifespan. To what else can one compare Omar Bongo’s 41-year stay in power? Muammar Gadaffi has 40 years to his credit. Robert Mugabe – 29, Obiang Nguema – 28, Hosni Mubarak – 28, Paul Biya – 27, Zine Al-Abidine 22, Yowerri Museveni – 22, Al-Bashir – 19, Idris Derby – 17, Yahya Jameh – 14, Denis Sassou Nguesso – 12. The list is very long.
Many leaders under 10 years in power are serving their second or third terms thanks to rigged elections. Those that come to power through coups promise a quick return to democracy, but soon get intoxicated with power only to be chased out by a counter coup. A country like Somalia has experimented with 15 governments in 18 years. This struggle for power is explained by the spiral of violence that continues to shape Africa’s political life.
What is known in history as the Age of Absolutism is a living reality in modern Africa. Leaders in Africa behave more or less like the monarchs of 16th and 17th century Europe who claimed to have “divine rights.” This explains their reaction to opposition which they consider as a threat to their power. The use of torture, summary executions and police brutality are only a few of the methods used to keep the opposition at bay in Africa.
Historical and Cultural Influences on the Concept of Leadership in Africa
Both history and culture have had a great influence on the concept of power in Africa. In the traditional African context, power belongs to a selected few, the “initiated” and those who have been favored by the “gods.” The responsibility of ensuring the transfer of power in traditional Africa was the duty of “king makers.” The core philosophy behind the concept of power in traditional Africa was that it did not tolerate any form of challenge or opposition because it was “divine.”
Many African leaders embraced this perception of power. Ghana’s first President Kwame Nkrumah sought to exercise unrivalled authority by taking the title “Osagyefo” (The Redeemer). In The Journal of Pan African Studies of March 2008, Ali Mazrui comments on Nkrumah’s lust for power. “Nkrumah reconstituted himself into a ‘Leninist Czar’ merging both the monarchical tendency which was reflected in his use of the title 'Osagyefo' and the Leninist vanguard tradition.” Muamar Gadaffi has also been enthroned as “Fon of Fons,” a sign of “divine favor.”
External Influences on Leadership in Africa
It is a tragedy of history that great power influence is an important factor when it comes to the question of leadership in Africa. This began from the period of colonial rule when European powers handpicked their collaborators in Africa and gave them some degree of power within the colonial administration. This system was common in all colonial administrations mainly because of the shortage of administrative personnel. It was also a way of compensating cooperative tribes in Africa and thus encouraging compliance.
The situation of outside interference in Africa reached its height during the cold war. The West took considerable pains to directly or indirectly eliminate African leaders with socialist inclinations. The most glaring example was the elimination of Patrice Lumumba and western open support for the secession of Katanga. Still in the mineral-rich Congo the dictatorial regime of Mobutu Sese Seko received western support until the ailing dinosaur became a liability and was abandoned.
With China’s increasing influence in Africa, Beijing now plays a significant role in deciding leadership patterns in Africa. China offers economic, political and diplomatic support to its proxies in Africa like Robert Mugabe and Al-Bashir. Despite western calls for regime change and sanctions against these governments, they continue to thrive thanks to Beijing’s assistance. Except for a few democratic successes as seen recently in Ghana and South Africa, leadership in much of Africa is determined either by a traditional outlook of “everlasting rule,” or pressure from great powers.
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