Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Africa is Democratising: Here is how

Andrew Mwenda contends that:
The most enduring democratic reforms in Africa over the last two decades have not been in the sphere of politics but the economy. Governments across our continent have liberalised our economies, privatised public enterprises and deregulated economic activity. These reforms have created sufficient economic freedom and with it, the structural and technological foundations of democracy are growing.
The growth of the private sector in Uganda, for example, is creating opportunities for many professional Ugandans outside of the state. Those who work for private companies have greater space to speak their minds than state employees. The spread of internet and telecommunications is rapidly liberating information flow from state control. The boom in education is producing an enlightened population who are using Facebook, Twitter, Linked-in and other social networking sites to debate public policy.
More here
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1 comments:

tarry2020 said...

This brings us back to the unending debate about what should come first in Africa - democracy (read regular elections) or economic growth (read free markets). From what we are seeing so far across the continent - those defining development agandas are people with private source of income independent of government and donors. Is this another model of progress in Africa?