Abstract: Issues of constitutionalism, good governance and democracy are determined by the type of
leadership in a country and/or continent. Despite colonial legacy, leadership in Africa has struggled to promote
pro-people policies that accommodate the needs of the populace. Leadership deficiency is a cause for concern
in African countries in terms of progressive and visionary leadership. Perspectives on political leadership in
Africa vary from the“criminalisation” of the state to political leadership as “dispensing patrimony”, the
“recycling “of elites and the use of state power and resources to consolidate political and economic power as
stated by Van Wyk (2007) . African states and their leaders have exploited and monopolized internal
sovereignty to mean absolute power, persornalisation of state-like services and have monopoly of and over
organised violence.
This paper attempt to review and analyze the type and styles of political leadership in Africa in an
effort to promote democracy and good governance. Leaders play a pivotal role in political agenda setting, the
distribution of resources and political actions. The contemporary state in Africa is a remnant of a colonially
imposed system. At the time of independence, elites attempted to transform this but only succeeded in
entrenching their interests .This paper therefore seeks to unpakage why African countries are no better than
they were under colonial rule. Of what value then is the hard won independence that African countries
commemorate on a yearly basis? African politicians need to provide good leadership qualities so as to
consolidate democracy and good governance
Arthur, C (2021). Good Governance, Democracy and Leadership styles in Africa. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/good-governance-democracy-and-leadership-styles-in-africa
Arthur, Chikerema "Good Governance, Democracy and Leadership styles in Africa" Afribary. Afribary, 03 May. 2021, https://afribary.com/works/good-governance-democracy-and-leadership-styles-in-africa. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
Arthur, Chikerema . "Good Governance, Democracy and Leadership styles in Africa". Afribary, Afribary, 03 May. 2021. Web. 18 Dec. 2024. < https://afribary.com/works/good-governance-democracy-and-leadership-styles-in-africa >.
Arthur, Chikerema . "Good Governance, Democracy and Leadership styles in Africa" Afribary (2021). Accessed December 18, 2024. https://afribary.com/works/good-governance-democracy-and-leadership-styles-in-africa