One of the most frustrating aspects of the African political climate is how corrupt and out of touch most of our leaders and politician are. This has served as a major driving factor why so many Africans are completely disillusioned with their country’s political systems.
Whenever, I look at the political climates in many foreign countries, very often you can see politicians who have the full backing of their supporters. They often have the charisma and policy objectives, that motivate their supporters, to come out in numbers to listen their speeches and vote for their political parties. Even if I don’t necessarily agree with their political views, I can still appreciate the enthusiasm they managed to generate from their supporters.
In America, you can look at someone like Bernie Sanders, who has managed to win the hearts and mind of many, in his political career spanning decades. Even if you don’t agree with his stances, it is clear he is someone who genuinely believes in his policies can benefit the American people. Likewise, he is very articulate and has the charisma to motivate so many of his supporters.
Many African politicians are too corrupt
When I look at most of the political class in my country of Nigeria, I do not see my self getting motivated by any politician or political party. The astonishing amount of corruption endemic in our government, has made life in Nigeria extremely challenging, and has left so much of our citizens destitute.
It’s difficult to feel any sense of motivation or pride in of government, when access to basic infrastructure such as electricity and water, are out of reach for much of the population. When faced with constant crises in insecurity and unemployment, many people simply become disillusioned with the political class and seek to avoid any interaction with them at all.
Yes, there are some good polliticians who manage to breakthrough and challenge for positions of power. Peter Obi was someone that many younger Nigerians pinned thier hopes on to being reforms to our government. Likewise, characters like Bobi Wine have managed to gain prominence, in Uganda and around for the world, in his fight for reform in Uganda. Another example is that of Senegal, with the recent election of President Diomaye Faye and his prime minister Ousmane Sonko. However, these kind of leaders are unfortunately, few and far between in many African countries today. Most African leaders are way too corrupt and too out of touch in order for them to garner any amount of support.
African leaders are too old
Another major reason why so much of Africa’s political class is out of touch is due to the fact that so many of our politicians are so old. Despite the fact that the African continent has the youngest population worldwide, much of our political class is filled with much older people (older men to be exact).
This stark contrast between the general populace and the political class leaves many younger people especially feelings disillusioned with politics. Therefore many younger Africans are simply become uninterested in engaging in politics.
It’s not as if younger Africans are disinterested in advocating for political changes either. Many younger Africans exhibit a significant interest in advocating for reforms, however many find themselves discouraged by the structures within African political systems. These systems often employ tactics such as imposing exorbitant fees for electoral candidacies which younger African political candidates would be unable to pay or imposing restrictions on freedom of speech which serve to dissuade the involvement of younger generations in the political sphere, out of fear of retaliation.
Anti democratic practices
Another reason why much of Africa’s political class is out of touch is due to use of anti-democratic tactics by politicians in positions of power to undermine the practice of free and fair elections. It’s uncommon for elections to take place without many observers, calling into question the legitimacy of the electoral process.
This scenario where a large swath of the population see the elected representatives as being illegitimate cause more people to feel disillusioned with the system.
This disillusionment felt by so many of us is with good reason. The current system in so many of our countries is woefully inadequate. It fosters an environment where corruption and abuse of authority thrive, which has had devastating consequences for countless Africans. It’s imperative for us to continue advocating for meaningful reforms that address these systemic issues and pave the way for a brighter and more equitable future for the African continent.