Common African Political Governance Issues: Lessons from Six Early APRM Reports

The paper analyzes APRM Country Review Reports for Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, Algeria, South Africa, and Benin, identifying systemic gaps between constitutional intentions and reality. It highlights a recurring pattern where the executive branch dominates the legislature and judiciary, undermining the separation of powers. Other common issues include electoral manipulation, systemic corruption, human rights abuses—particularly against women and children—and conflicts over land ownership. The author concludes that the APRM's effectiveness is limited by the lack of political will to implement its recommendations, suggesting that following these recommendations should become mandatory for member states.

• A fundamental lack of constitutionalism exists across most reviewed states, where formal rules are routinely ignored or manipulated for elite advantage, leading to an unbalanced tripod of government power.
• The separation of powers is frequently undermined in practice despite constitutional guarantees, resulting in executive dominance and a weakened legislature and judiciary. In Algeria, the president can legislate by decree; in Benin, the president has marked influence over other branches; and in Ghana, the fusion of executive and legislative branches is noted because most ministers are also MPs.
• Electoral systems and practices are plagued by weaknesses, including the manipulation of constituency boundaries in Kenya, the influence of party lists over voter accountability in South Africa, and the lack of secure voters' registers in Benin.
• Corruption is a cross-cutting issue in all reviewed states, often driven by low public sector salaries and a lack of effective sanctions. Kenya is perceived as the most corrupt among the group, while South African firms are noted for a high propensity to bribe when operating overseas.
• Human rights abuses are prevalent, with systemic violence against women and children across all six countries. Women's political representation varies widely, with Rwanda having the highest proportion of women in parliament (above 50% after 2008), while Kenya and Benin have significantly lower representation.
• Land ownership and distribution are sources of conflict in all reviewed states, often exacerbated by legal flaws, high population density (Rwanda), or ethnic dimensions (Kenya).
• Public service delivery is hindered by bureaucracy, a lack of decentralisation, and staffing shortages. In Algeria and Benin, decentralisation is described as ineffective due to the central government retaining excessive power.
• The APRM has functioned as an early warning mechanism for violence in Kenya and South Africa, but its impact is limited because governments often disregard its recommendations.

APA

Turianskyi, Y. (2009). Common African Political Governance Issues: Lessons from Six Early APRM Reports. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/Occasional-Paper-28.pdf

Chicago

Turianskyi, Yarik. Common African Political Governance Issues: Lessons from Six Early APRM Reports. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2009. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/Occasional-Paper-28.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Turianskyi |first1=Yarik |title=Common African Political Governance Issues: Lessons from Six Early APRM Reports |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=March 2009 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/Occasional-Paper-28.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{turianskyi2009common, author = {Turianskyi, Yarik}, title = {{Common African Political Governance Issues: Lessons from Six Early APRM Reports}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2009}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/Occasional-Paper-28.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }