AFRICAN POLITICS AND POLITICAL PARTIES

AFRICAN POLITICS AND POLITICAL PARTIES

By Matanzima Peter Kasse

African political thoughts deal with people and not ideas. The chiefs’ traditional attire with its charms and symbolic object on his body and in his hands all show that the person of the chief is the main point of focus in the life of the nation and tribe. People love and adore him not because of his bright ideas but because he is the legitimate symbol of their unity and life, he is the guarantee of their life and well being. What happens with traditional leaders in one way happens with people who are voted to political posts and whoever thinks that those who win elections do so because of bright ideas and beautiful political plans does not understand African politics. In Africa people elect leaders because of what they represent, for them which becomes identified with their persons. In my view this is the reason party politics has not been accommodated well in African countries. Political parties rest on ideas not on concrete people as and experience has shown that vast majority of Africans instead of supporting ideas support people. And, instead of fighting ideas, they fight people, while people of the same political party tend to become friends and those who belong to opposing political parties tend to become enemies. While it is possible among people of other mentalities, it is impossible in Africa that husband and wife openly belong to opposing political parties and continue to stay together in peace. For politicians especially those in power, the leader of the opposition is an enemy to be eliminated is possible. He is not one who is seen as one who helps them not to abuse the power given to them by the people. There used to be a system in African traditional politics where the opposition was there but not for the sake of wrestling for power but to help him rule wisely and according to tradition which was the constitution. The council of elders, the drum as in Ankole, the queen mother, the traditional priests who used to transmit to the kings the divine will etc were all powers none of whom could become king but represented voices to which deaf ears to these powers lost both power and life. I call such people opposition because they used to be the representatives of the common people in front of the leaders, they used not to be chosen by the king or chiefs and their main wok was to prevent him from abusing power to the detriment of society. If a system can be put in place whereby this kind of opposition recuperated instead of resorting to systems which are only known without being understood fully, Africa will have a celebrated future.