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(TALKZIMBABWE) Should Africa reject Western institutions?

Should Africa reject Western institutions?
Arthur Gwagwa and Donette Read Kruger—Opinion
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:02:00 +0000

HAS Africa reached that stage yet where people would rather die for western democracy instead of focussing on important issues of stability and agrarian reform?

The just-ended AU summit has proved that Africa has come of age and cannot be dictated to anymore. The solidarity by African leaders on Zimbabwe clearly demonstrates that cutting the western templates of governance, regional relations and conflict resolution and pasting them on Africa, not only causes discomfort among African leaders but does not work.

The question that arises is whether African politicians, especially the new age opposition politicians, should continue importing western concepts and institutions or should consider resorting to improving our traditional institutions.
In its dealings with Africa, the West is always accusing African governments of breaching the international standards and norms of recognised democracy.

The question that arises is who defined what international standards are, and if African states ratified these international treaties, how much of our own culture influenced such provisions of these treaties?

Do we not find ourselves in the situation where we are compelled to sing songs of democracy and tolerance from western hymn-books with such reluctance that we sing these songs with so much discord?

If our societies are still patriarchal, and our villages are run on the basis of benevolent dictatorships with little consultation, and if our dispute resolution mechanisms are predominantly informed by our culture, why then do we expect our governments to operate diametrically opposed to the grain of our society?

After all the government is simply chosen by the people, from the people for the people and is a product of a given society. The same MP who, in private beats up his wife is the same person who is made an opposition spokesperson and despite murdering his wife in the most brutal way, he is still acknowledged as a public hero!

While there are very admirable qualities in some western institutions, is it not time we looked inward and became true to ourselves and began to embrace those concepts that reflect our cultural ideology.

This is not advocating a return to the caves of our ancestors, or resolving conflict according to the novel “Tambaoga Mwanangu” principles, but adopting fair and equitable principles of justice that reflect the core of who we are.

Everywhere in the world, wherever the western culture has invaded the local culture, there is bound to be friction and resistance. This is clear in Iraq, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and other countries suffering under the burden of modern day attempts at re-colonisation.

Readers should ponder the following questions: Whether democracy has worked in Africa, and if not, whether it can work and if so, how can it work? Is tolerance and respect for human rights the same as democracy? If not how come opposition politicians always mix up these terms?

Is a dictatorship always bad and if so, how come there are benevolent dictators in countries that still recognise the monarchy and royalty especially in the Middle East?

If people can live well under a benevolent dictator, e.g. in Dubai and Brunei and, if democracy is purely a western creature, is it worth dying for? Does the average African really cares about who rules - provided they have bread and butter on the table and petty cash for emergencies?

To you and I, Russia may not be an ideal democracy but its cabinet puts discipline and social cohesion above democratic principles. Why then should Africa follow in western foot prints instead of being at the liberty to create its own path? There will always be followers who follow but there are not always leaders to create and innovate.

While it is good for Africans to learn from the West inasmuch as the West can learn from Africa, Africans must beware of western agents planted amongst us to spread democracy and tolerance while they still live like chiefs in their own homes, will not tolerate any dissenting voices in their democratic movements, and condone their supporters throwing obscene threats at their critics.

By blindly following the paths etched by the West without pausing to ask the question “Why we are walking these paths?” we are just setting ourselves up to fail. We should reach deep inside and get back in touch with our original values and traditions so that whatever decisions we reach, these will be true to our culture (to thine own self be true) rather than externally motivated.

If we are in a conflict, we must look for ways of managing conflict that are informed by own cultural approach. The so-called international norms which are nothing but western principles strutting about as international mascots must always play second fiddle if they are not in sinc with our own culture.

However, we can still learn from foreign norms to improve our own way of doing things – especially with regards to the rights of children, women and respect for human rights generally.

It is high time we became frank with the West in that we intend ditching their institutions entirely and will be reinventing the wheel. This is the only way to stop the barking madness emanating from No 10 Downing Street.

Arthur Gwagwa and Donette Read Kruger
U.K.

Labels: AU, GOVERNANCE

posted by MrK @ 4:26 PM