Democracy is alive and well in Africa, with 74% of the continent’s youth believing that it is the best form of government. Less than half believe the western version is the best option though, with most wanting the continent to develop its own system.
They believe that freedom of speech and the holding of regular free and fair elections are the key pillars of democracy, more important even than equality before the law, freedom of the press or even the right to freely assemble and protest.
It is, says Ivor Ichikowitz, probably because they believe that if democracy works in a system where people can speak freely and regularly choose their representatives and leaders without interference then they don’t think these customary constitutional safeguards are necessary.
The industrialist and philanthropist is the chair of the Ichikowitz Family Foundation which conceptualised and underwrites the African Youth Survey. These findings on democracy are part of the second edition of the report being launched worldwide today.
Based on more than 4 500 face-to-face interviews conducted across 15 African countries, the AYS project has now pulsed the hopes, dreams, fears and concerns of almost 10 000 young Africans and remains the only survey of its kind on the continent. The fieldwork was conducted last year in Angola, Congo Brazzaville, DRC, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia with the findings being collated this year.
African youth are becoming more distrustful of their national leaders, many of whom they believe actively and regularly use fake news to peddle their agendas. Less than half the youth have faith in their elected leaders to do what is right for their country. 75% of the youth believe their leaders lie to them. Local community leaders and religious leaders in particular are however regarded as being more trustworthy.
They are also increasingly resistant to any attempts to deny them their democratic rights either through the imposition of one- party states or the suspension of democratic processes like parliament or scheduled elections, but equally very few of them want to stand for office themselves.
“This is a significant shift from the ‘Big Man’ politics that has dominated the continental landscape for so long and indeed ultimately has been the root of so much of the hardship over the last 60 years, says Ichikowitz. “We could be seeing a shift away from the tolerance of corruption underpinned by democratic unaccountability that has enabled the creation of kleptocratic dynasties which have dominated so much for Africa for so long.
“What is even more significant is that unlike the generations that went before them, the youth of today no longer sees political power as a route to personal enrichment through patronage, instead they want to make their own way in the world, as evidenced by other findings in the study.”