By Dr David Matsanga in Africa
The events of last few days in America must teach Africa a big lesson – Africa must change its governance systems -The residential system does not and will not work for Africa. It breeds violence where losers never accept.
I can tell you that American democracy has two components – violence and money. That is what Americans are good at. They laugh with you while the other informal sectors are funding rebellion. Africa cannot afford this type of democracy. That is the trouble of continent.
I find plenty of evidence of violence and its existence in USA democracy and politics. The system most African states have copied. A violent system that causes violence after elections. In 1963, Kennedy was assassinated. In 1981 there was an attempted assassination on Ronald Reagan.
Now in 2024 an attempted assassination on Donald Trump. More original assassinations of other Presidents is a long list. I tell you frankly that the USA politics is toxic. It is the question of who has the money and this brings divisions within fragile states.
I studied USA politics in Thames Valley College in Tooting before joining London Guildhall University and I found out that in USA guns are more liked than human life. A friend of mine told me that a quick death is found in USA because guns are like walking sticks.
Many assassins bullets in USA have a long and dark history in the United States, taking the lives of four presidents and wounding a further three. In Africa we have had few assassinations mainly from military coups.
I took part in the IRA negotiations of Northern Ireland. In Britain I witnessed the Brighton Hotel bombing, which came extraordinarily close to killing Margaret Thatcher.
What is killing Africa today is wrong systems of governance. Presidential systems are for the rich not for the developing countries like those in Africa. Ethnicity has played a key role in creating chaos and conflicts in Africa.
The Presidential systems create high anxiety in the populace and sharpens hatred that is embedded in our African political systems. Quick look at all elections conducted in Africa in the last 20 years will prove my point.
I believe a parliamentary system that gives the masses more powers to choose their leaders helps in stability and brings issues out better than the presidential systems. In parliamentary systems the citizens can quickly sack or recall their MP.
The type of system in South Africa brings hope to the people of Africa. The South Africa model creates peace because the quarrels are in parliament not in the streets.
I speak my mind. I have no regrets. The only thing I fear is that Africa will suffer more if the leaders don’t listen and change the systems of governance. The implications of presidential systems in Africa are many. It is up to countries that are venerable to chaos to change their systems.
The future of our countries with presidential systems is uncertain. African countries must live in a new normal when it comes to political threats and violence, that comes from presidential systems of governance. I have done my best to point out the dangers.
Lastly in a play of Julius Caesar the killer Brutus says. “Men at some time are masters of their fates,” he says. “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, /But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” The fault is as Africans trusting American presidential system that brings us violence.
It is up to the African leaders each of them to assess whether presidential systems can work nicely or parliamentary systems are the best for developing countries in Africa. The violence awaiting us ahead must be avoided.
Thanks
The writer is a Pan Africanist based in London, Political scientist & International Relations expert, studied conflict Resolution, a member of Royal African Society (RAS) Founder /Chairman Pan African Forum (UK)Ltd @MatsangaDr
