A SEISMIC change is taking place across the political landscape in Africa. In October, The Botswana Democratic Party, which had been in power since the country gained independence from Britain in 1966, was turfed out of power by the electorate. The election ushered in the Umbrella for Democratic Change, whose presidential candidate, 54-year-old Duma Boko, replaced the BDP’s Mokgsweeti Masisi.
The BDP ended up with only four seats, out of 61, in a parliament that it had controlled for 58 years. Unlike previous trends on the continent, however, Masisi accepted the electorate’s decision and promised a smooth transition of power.
It was all the more special because he had served only one term, something that is uncommon in politics in Africa. But we must not forget George Weah of Liberia, who also served one term when he lost last year’s presidential election. This might be catching on.
In South Africa in May, the African National Congress, the liberation movement that took over the reins of power in 1994, lost its parliamentary majority, and is now in a coalition with the Democratic Alliance and Inkatha Freedom Party. It was the ANC’s worst performance in the 30 years that it had been in control of the country.
This November, the opposition Alliance for Change coalition ousted the government of the Militant Socialist Movement coalition in an election that saw the latter fail to win any of the 62 seats that are directly elected to parliament. This means that Navin Ramgoolam will return as the country’s prime minister, a position he held from 1995 to 2000 and again from 2005 to 2014.
Outgoing Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth conceded defeat before all results were announced, saying his coalition was headed for a huge defeat as it became clear that the opposition was winning. Jugnauth, who had been in office since 2017 and seeking another five-year term, said: “The population has decided to choose another team. I wish good luck to the country.”
What do all these results portend for the democratic process and rule of law in Africa? For one thing, it is clear that voters are not going to buy the cant that their political leaders routinely dispense at election time. For another, the electorate is getting younger. Figures show that young people constitute 60 per cent of the continent’s population under the age of 25.
Young Africans can now make a difference through the ballot box
And they are the ones who will hold the balance of power in Africa for generations to come. They now have a different worldview. They are not going to stand for corruption or the mismanagement of their countries as those before them did.
Young Africans are going to now take robust action against electoral fraud and the failure of the rule of law. We are seeing this currently in Mozambique where FRELIMO is trying to hang on to power since the election on October 9.
Young Mozambicans have taken on the security forces who have been opening fire against demonstrators challenging the result of the presidential election. Again, a liberation movement is under pressure but, unlike the ANC in South Africa, FRELIMO wants to stay put after 49 years in control.
The problem here for FRELIMO is that young Mozambicans do not have a clue about its liberation struggle. What they care about are bread and butter issues that will give them a better a quality of life. They cannot survive on stories about the liberation struggle.
Meanwhile, another liberation movement, the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army/Movement, is hanging on to transitional power 13 years after independence. It has pushed its first ever elections to 2026 from December this year. But young Sudanese know that their country could do a lot better if their leader put their backs into it.
Young Africans, as we have seen in Botswana, South Africa and Mauritius, now know that they can make a difference through the ballot box. This is why the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections in Ghana are so crucial.
It is high time that young people in Africa are given the respect and opportunities that they deserve
By all accounts the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) of outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo wants to hold on to power at all costs, even though the indicators show that the government has woefully failed Ghanaians. There have been rumblings throughout this year that could explode if attempts are made to subvert the will of the people.
Since Ghana returned to democratic rule in 1992, the two main parties, the NPP and the National Democratic Congress, have been changed after two terms. The NPP has done its two terms, and Ghanaians are now expecting the party to be voted out of power.
It is high time that young people in Africa are given the respect and opportunities that they deserve. After all, they are the ones who are going to be around to work towards the continent achieving the African Union’s Agenda 2063 that is aimed at “transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future”.
In it therefore imperative that people power should now be allowed to finally flourish on the continent. If not, Agenda 2063 will be a shattered dream for young Africans
This op-ed is republished from the Leader Page of the November-December 2024 issue of Africa Briefing Magazine. For more comments and analyses, please visit https://africabriefing.com/africa-briefing-magazine-november-december-2024/
