OPINION: Maybe the Issue is Not Our Leaders, Maybe ‘Democracy’ Just Isn’t For Us

By Hans Ngala

The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a change. This year, many African countries marked 64 years and others marked 65 years since independence. That means in less than 10 years, most African countries will be 70 years old since they gained their political “independence”. We know that Cameroon and many other former French colonies (no, I should rather just say French colonies because whether they are “former” is another issue we could debate) – but these French colonies are a prime example of the failures of democracy. In the ones I’ve been to, such as Togo, Chad, and Madagascar, the poverty is the dirt-poor type. People still live in shacks and tents. France maintains a firm grip on these countries in almost every sense of the word.
It’s not too different for the others either. Namibia, Botswana, Ghana, and South Africa are doing better IN COMPARISON to their Francophone counterparts, but overall, not one single African country seems to be doing well with this so-called democracy (at least not with how we currently define it). I believe that for Africa to grow and realize its true potential, we must go back to our monarchic approach to leadership. One leader wields absolute power but gets things done. Roads are built, hospitals are equipped, and education for the masses is free (sounds like socialism, which freaks some Westerners out for God knows what reason). But rather than the kind of mess we see in many African countries that are passing for “democratic” countries, I’d rather have me a Paul Kagame any day, any time. I’d take Traore over any of these failed “democratic” leaders anytime. Africa must define for itself what “democracy” is. It seems to me we’ve not decolonized that term and simply took a Western template and tried to replicate it in African countries, and boom, it failed!

1. Imported democracy ignores Africa’s communal decision-making traditions.
   Precolonial African societies had their systems of governance—councils of elders, consensus-driven leadership, age-grade systems, and rotating chiefs. These were participatory and deeply rooted in communal values. Western liberal democracy, in contrast, emphasizes individualism, party politics, and electoral competition, often breeding division, tribalism, and violence. Africa needs a model that reflects its heritage of consensus and community, not one that pits people against each other every five years for votes.
2. Elections do not equal democracy, and in Africa, they often worsen instability.
   Elections in many African countries have become high-stakes, winner-takes-all contests that spark violence, not progress. From Kenya to Nigeria to the DRC, electoral cycles often bring bloodshed, fraud, and division. Meanwhile, countries like Rwanda and Ethiopia (pre-2020) showed stability and development under strong, centralized leadership—even if they were not seen as “democratic” by Western standards. This suggests that Africa’s political health might lie in accountability and results, not merely in ballots and slogans.
3. Western democracy doesn’t solve Africa’s real problems—development does.
   African youth don’t flee their countries because of a lack of free press or political parties—they flee because there’s no running water, no stable jobs, no functional healthcare. Any model of governance must be judged by its ability to deliver for the people. If “democracy” means voting every few years but starving the rest of the time, then it’s meaningless. Africa needs a system that prioritizes economic justice, infrastructural development, and dignity over imported political rituals.