MODERN AFRICAN POLITICAL

THOUGHT
NHIR 121

N. D. Pinduka
Africa university
Department of international relations
 Introduction and Overview
• This course examines Modern African Political thought.
• It surveys the major issues in the region from a historiographical
overview in order to establish the background and the context in
which the contemporary performances of African political systems are
built.
• It hence aims to explore the historical development of current
modern African politics.
• Perhaps, it is important from the onset to contextualize the term
African Political Thought. The start would be knowing what political
thought is.
 Cont…
• Generally, Political thought relates to questions on the evolution or
development of political ideas, including their effects on a society or
individuals within a society.
• Within the idea of Political thought lies the need to question the
origin and effect of political ideas, philosophies and theories.
• Historically, the focus of political thought has been on a triad of
related problems, namely those of constituting a community bound
by a normative order, of establishing the legitimacy and terms of
enforcement of such an order, and of articulating criteria for
allocations of resources and entitlements.
 Cont…
• In the early modern World, particularly Europe, political thought was
largely concerned with the nature and legitimacy of new forms of
normatively binding orders and their terms of enforcement.
• In the contemporary world, political thought or political philosophy
studies questions about power, justice, rights, law and other issues
related to governance.
• As a distinct field of study, African political thought is a relatively new
discipline.
 Cont...
• It was only in the late 1960s that it emerged as different and distinct
from other— notably Western— systems of thought.
• The pioneering works in the field— now outdated and mostly out-of-
print— focused essentially on various aspects of African nationalism
and African socialism.
• To say (as Boele van Hensbroek does) that “the history of African
political ideas is a neglected field of study” is a major understatement
• This course presents African political thought from the perspective of
African political thinkers and African Studies analysts.
 Cont…
• It is pertinent in the modern world to understand African Political institutions and forms
of political thought as they are the means by which power is exerted and resisted.
• Current events in Africa and the world at large show the long- ranging effects of forms of
political thinking.
• This course allows students to explore, through academic and literary texts, the complex
interplays of forms of power within Africa, and between Africa and other parts of the
world.
• It also allows for a nuanced understanding of the political histories of the African
continent which is important for International Relations students today.
• It is a core component of the new International relations Studies major; as such it
presents political ideas from an African and interdisciplinary perspective.
• It is a course that in a nutshell focuses on the ideas behind modern politics and
governance in Africa
 Defining words on the term Modern
African Political Thought
• Modern – Systems designed and made using the most recent ideas
and methods
• African – in this course it that which relates to, or is characteristic of
the continent of Africa or its people
• Political - relates to Politics - relates to activities associated with the
governance of a country or area.
• In the 1930s Political Scientist Harold Lasswell defined politics as a
competition about ‘who gets what, when and how’.
• Politics has also be defined as the authoritative allocation of values.
 Cont…
• Orvis and Drogus (2015:8) note that politics is the process by which
human communities make collective decisions. These communities
can be of any size i.e. from small villages or neighborhoods to nations
and to international organization.
• Politics deals with human decision and political science of such
decisions (Almond, et al 2008:1)
• NB* Power, Influence, Authority and Rule - Ubiquity of politics.
• Thought - an idea or opinion produced by thinking, or occurring
suddenly in the mind. It can be a belief, a conception, a notion or a
claim
 Cont…
• Modern African Political Thought hence becomes a study of systems
or ideas of governance relating to or characteristic of the African
continent and its people.
• Modern African Political thought treats the principles, guidelines,
norms and values according to which (in the thinker’s opinion) the
society has to organize its institutions, functions, structures, hierarchy
and its general way of working.
• The ideas are about organisation and what must be done in the
society (Normative Theory of International Relations)
 Cont…
• Political thinkers attempt to find the best way of running a society and
a state. i.e. to fix the most basic values according to which the society
or the state has to organize itself, and its particular way of functioning.
• Political thought treats the principles, guide-lines, norms and values
according to which (in the thinker’s opinion) the society has to
organize its institutions, functions, structures, hierarchy and its general
way of working.
• Political thinkers attempt to find the best way of running a society and
a state. i.e. to fix the most basic values according to which the society
or the state has to organize itself, and its particular way of functioning.
 Cont…
• Political thinkers are preoccupied with the most important way in
which a society has to be governed.
• In this regard, the preservation of the traditional values of a nation
(conservativism), guaranteeing personal, individual freedom
(liberalism), social justice and the defense of the rights of the needy
(left-wing movements, Social democracy) remain core in Modern
African Political Thought and even European Political Thought.
• The way to ensure that these tenets are attained in the governance of
an entity is arguably where ideas of different philosophers differ
 Cont…
• The notion of Governance is central in Modern African Political
Thought.
• It hence is plausible to understand what the term governance which
must be examined vis-à-vis the term government and the state.
• Perhaps the first port of call would be defining what the government
is.
• The government is the group of people with the authority to oversee
or manage a country or state; a particular ministry in office.
• A government is an institution that is comprised of three arms namely
the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary
 Cont…
• The powers, functions and general procedures to be adopted by these arms of
government are prescribed by the grundnorm operational within a state – The
Constitution.
• These arms perform different responsibilities are aimed at ensuring that
governance is attained at a level that is mostly beneficial to the people.
• 1. The Legislature: This is the arm of government which is primarily concerned
with the law making process within the states.
• The Legislature ensures that laws are made and reviewed from time to time to
ensure that the state is governed in a manner that will ensure respect of law and
order within the society.
• The Legislature also ensures that laws which require amendments and review to
bring them in line with prevalent circumstances are constantly reviewed.
 Cont…
• 2. The Executive: This arm of government is concerned primarily with
the administration of the state. It ensures that the laws made by the
legislature are properly executed by its members.
• The executive arm is headed by the President of the state. It is made
up of the Police, Arm Forces and different ministries and
parastatals.
• This arm wields the greatest power within the government because of
the role it plays in governance.
 Cont…
• The Judiciary: This arm of government is concerned chiefly with the
interpretation of laws within the state.
• Laws after they are made may not be very clearly understood, so
when disputes arise with respect to these laws, the Judiciary arm of
government ensures the interpretation of the law and resolution of
these disputes.
• The Chief Justice is the head of this arm and is supported by other
judicial officers who act in their respective capacities as either justices
or judges.
• * SEPERATION OF POWERS
 Cont…
• Governance - in general terms comprises of all the processes of
administering an entity (State as defined by the 1933 Montevideo
Convention on the Rights and Duties of States)
• 1. De facto Government (Legislature, Judiciary and the Executive –
Central feature) de facto - effective control; de jure - legitimacy
• 2. Defined Territory (national securitization)
• 3. Permanent Population (political participation)
• 4. Capacity into relations with other states (human and national
securitization)
 Cont…
• On the basis of the four factors given above, it is important to note
that governance is a multifaceted process that goes beyond the
government.
• It is about the culture and institutional environment in which citizens
and stakeholders interact among themselves and participate in public
affairs. It hence is more than the organs of the government.
• Therefore, the course will focus on these and other terms as it aims to
unpack Modern African Political Thoughts and how they relate to the
best possible way of governing African states and managing African
politics.
Cont…

• THE END