By Dr Masimba Mavaza | On December 10, 1963, Zanzibar achieved independence as a member of the Commonwealth. … Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume, leader of the ASP, was installed as president tof the People’s Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba Julius Nyerere, independence leader and “baba wa taifa” for Tanganyika (father of the Tanganyika nation), ruled the country for 23 years while Abeid Amaan Karume, governed Zanzibar as its president and Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania.
Since 1962 his political party the Chamachamapinduzi has been in power. Every election the party is re-elected and the opposition has failed to penetrate.
Angola achieved independence in 1975 through the Alvor Agreement. After independence, Angola entered a long period of civil war that lasted until 2002.
The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) has ruled Angola since independence in 1975. From 1975 to 1991, it was the sole legally existing party in a political system inspired by the model then practised by the socialist countries of Eastern Europe. The MPLA fought against the Portuguese army in the Angolan War of Independence from 1961 to 1974, and defeated the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA) in the Angolan Civil War. The party has ruled Angola since the country’s independence from Portugal in 1975, being the de facto government throughout the civil war and the ruling since its end.
The Mozambican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the guerrilla forces of the Mozambique Liberation Front or FRELIMO and Portugal. The war officially started on September 25, 1964, and ended with a ceasefire on September 8, 1974, resulting in a negotiated independence in 1975. Frelimo has been in office since then..
September 6, 1968-April 11, 1973): The British protectorate of Swaziland formally achieved its independence from the United Kingdom on September 6, 1968. Since then the opposition has ruled from a from a distance.
Over the last four decades there’s been some progress towards institutionalising multiparty democracy in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite these elections in the region rarely result in changes of government
A recent survey by Afrobarometer – a non-partisan African research network confirmed sheds some light on why this is the case.
In Africa the opposition parties face major obstacles to winning majority support. These include the fact that they aren’t trusted as much as governing parties and that very often they aren’t seen as a viable alternative to the dominant ruling party. They are normally there to make money a feat which horrifies the electorate.
Most countries which are governed by parties that emerged from liberation movements and have been in power for decades since independence do not have opposition posing a threat at all. Although some of these incumbents have lost some electoral support in recent years, opposition support has not been high enough to unseat them.
In Namibia and Mozambique levels of trust in opposition parties were found to be at the highest levels ever. But in Zimbabwe trust in the political opposition declined sharply after 2008/2009. Similarly, the proportion of Zimbabweans who said they felt “close to” an opposition party dropped from 45% in 2009 to 19% in 2014 said African barometer a survey organisation.
Take the example of Botswana. The Botswana Democratic Party, in power since independence in 1966, is the region’s most enduring dominant party. It has even adopted the slogan “*There is still no alternative”.*
After losing an election, opposition parties should monitor and criticise the government in order to hold it accountable. This is how democracy should work.
Once an election is over, opposition parties and politicians should accept defeat and cooperate with the government to develop the country potential voters if they are seen to be constantly criticising the ruling party rather than contributing to the country’s development. Opposition parties might do better if they highlight their policy platforms and gain citizen confidence in their plans.
So in short despite the noise they make the opposition is not yet ready to govern.
It is true that the opposition will take very long before they can be trusted with power.
Democracy is not seen in the changes of political parties. Countries which are labelled as examples of democracy in Africa have had one party ruling since independence.
These are countries lime Botswana, Mozambique,Tanzania and South Africa.
So for for the CCC they can make as much noise as possible but ZANU PF is here to stay.