Real or imagined local autonomy: Experiences from local government in Ethiopia, South Africa and Zimbabwe
Abstract
Centralized rule has been common in Africa, and almost all African countries
implemented, constitutionally or otherwise, programs of centralization from
the time they achieved independence from colonial rule. They did so with the
declared purposes of modernization, achieving economic development and
nation building (Godefroidt, Langer and Meuleman 2016). However, these lofty
goals were not achieved; African countries remain characterized by underdevelopment, lack of democratic rule, corruption and ethnic-based conflicts.
Many blame the centralized and extremely bureaucratized government and
governance systems and decision-making processes for worsening, if not causing, these problems (Addisson 1998; Jackson 2002).
In the past three or so decades, therefore, there has been a general move
in Africa towards decentralization and reducing bureaucracy. This trend is
part of a global movement, based on the recognition that central government
was too big, inaccessible, remote and inefficient in terms of bringing about
development and democratic rule (Sharma 2009).