WILLIAM GUMEDE

Defending democracy could be likened to the fight against colonialism and apartheid, and is one of the greatest causes of our times young people must devote themselves to.

In SA, Africa and across the globe there is an undeclared war within countries between those who support democracy and the forces of authoritarianism. The challenge for young people is to defend democracy against its opponents at home and abroad.

Almost all of Africa’s governance systems which dictate people’s day-to-day life, such as traditional systems, religious systems amd communal beliefs have deeply autocratic elements which compete with democracy. Africa’s dominant political systems, such as military rulers, dictators and dominant parties, many authoritarian, are competing with democracy. Africa’s dominant political ideologies, such as African-style socialism, populism and tribalism also compete with democracy.

In many African countries, political parties are organised along tribal lines, whether ethnic, religious, or regional. Whenever one group has national political power, they often exclude others. Sadly, voters often also vote along these lines. Such divisions undermine democracy.

In African-style populism, minorities, non-nationals or foreigners or former colonial powers are often blamed for self-inflected governing failures. There is often scapegoating of one ethnic community, for the lack of advancement of another.

Many African liberation and independence movements have ideologies based on African-style socialism and are often organised along democratic centralism lines, which stipulates that when the party leadership decide, all members and supporters must follow uncritically. These movements see their party's constitutions, structures and cultures above their countries’ constitutions, democratic institutions and laws. This of course undermines democracy.

All of Africa’s governance systems, dominant political systems and ideologies are underpinned by patriarchy. Patriarchy is based on gender inequality, social status inequality between elites and ordinary citizens, and discrimination against the youth. Patriarchy undermines equality, which underpins democracy.

Many African countries have African-style “democracies”, whereby countries are declared democratic based narrowly only on whether elections take place. This has not only undermined genuine democracy building, but has also increased ethnic divisions and retarded development.

Intimate, personal and communal relations in almost all African countries are based on patriarchy, whereby women and young people must defer to men. The basis of African societies is therefore deeply undemocratic.

The challenge for young people is to give life to democracy by democratising every aspect of life in society, to foster a democratic culture, where widely shared democratic beliefs, values and commitments in a country “shape how individuals and the society act”.

One of the reasons why democracy has not taken a stronger foothold in SA and many parts of Africa is that many countries, beyond ritual elections, have not transformed their societies.

Youth across the continent have often been at the forefront of campaigning for democracy, mainly to force out authoritarian regimes and leaders, and forcing democratic change.

Because of patriarchy in all Africa’s governance, cultural and religious systems, young leaders rarely rise to the top of politics. Although constrained by patriarchy, the continent has nevertheless recently seen the rise of dynamic younger leaders.

Although African youth have successfully mobilised to push out autocratic leaders and regimes, they have not often prioritised democratising the entire society. Young people must fight to democratise every aspect of life, whether their intimate relations, religious, traditional and political institutions.

Young people should fight to democratise authoritarian aspects of African governance such as customary law, sharia law, traditions and communal beliefs. These systems must either be abolished or democratised to align them with human rights, gender, social and generational equality.

The youth must also battle appeals to ethnic, regional-based and religious mobilisation – which have undermined democracy building across the continent. They must fight tribalism of any kind. Young people must also fight xenophobia – the phenomenon of blaming those different to oneself or foreign for self-inflicted problems, or the idea that by excluding one community, another will prosper.

Young people must eschew populism – which is a major obstacle to democracy on the continent.

Many aspects of conventions, traditions and values are autocratic, undermining dignity and human rights. Young people must battle the undemocratic aspects of these, into which many individuals are socialised, culturalised and traditionalised from birth.

The answer for African countries is not less democracy, but better-quality democracy, where all aspects of life are democratised.

• Gumede is founder and executive chairperson of the Democracy Works Foundation.

This is an edited extract from Gumede’s public discussion with Adv. Shamila Batohi at Stellenbosch University’s annual Centre for Student Leadership, Experiential Education & Citizenship’s Van Zyl Slabbert honorary lecture, delivered by Batohi.