When Leaders Fail Democracy, Democracy Fails the People

The document examines the gap between high popular support for democracy in Africa and the low satisfaction with its actual implementation. It highlights a trend of disputed elections and popularly celebrated coups as symptoms of leadership failure and the inability of democratic systems to provide basic socio-economic rights. Using examples from Zimbabwe and Gabon, it argues that when elections fail to reflect the will of the people or improve living conditions, the stability of democratic institutions is threatened.

• While a majority of Africans still prefer democracy over other systems, there is a measurable decline in support for democracy and elections. Afrobarometer data from 34 countries shows that the proportion of citizens preferring democracy dropped from 73% in 2011 to 69% in the 2019–2021 survey period, and satisfaction with how democracy works fell from 50% in 2011/2013 to 43% in the most recent round.
• Democratic backsliding is evidenced by a rise in disputed elections and the manipulation of electoral processes by incumbents. Examples include the 2023 elections in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe, as well as a pattern of state-sponsored violence and contested results in Zimbabwe dating back to 2002 and 2008.
• There is a growing tolerance for military intervention, particularly among youth aged 18–36, in countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Tanzania, and Tunisia. This trend is linked to the perception that elections are 'malleable and imperfect' and do not guarantee democratic outcomes.
• The failure of democratic governments to deliver basic socio-economic goods and services contributes to the celebration of coups. In Gabon, despite being rich in oil, manganese, diamonds, and gold, poverty and unemployment were estimated at 33.4% and 28.8% respectively in 2021, leading many to celebrate the August 2023 military coup that ousted President Ali Bongo.
• African leaders are undermining democratic values through the curtailment of freedoms, including the use of internet shutdowns during elections. In 2023, 17 internet shutdowns were recorded across nine African countries, with Kenya and Mozambique identified as 'new offenders'.
• The 2023 Zimbabwean election was characterized by systemic bias and irregularities, including the withholding of the final voter's roll and the arrest of opposition members. The SADC Election Observer Mission head described the election as 'the most fraudulent in the history of SADC'.

APA

BOSMAN, I. (2024). When Leaders Fail Democracy, Democracy Fails the People. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PI-153-AGDP-Bosman-FINAL-WEB.pdf

Chicago

BOSMAN, ISABEL. When Leaders Fail Democracy, Democracy Fails the People. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2024. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PI-153-AGDP-Bosman-FINAL-WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=BOSMAN |first1=ISABEL |title=When Leaders Fail Democracy, Democracy Fails the People |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=August 2024 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PI-153-AGDP-Bosman-FINAL-WEB.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bosman2024when, author = {BOSMAN, ISABEL}, title = {{When Leaders Fail Democracy, Democracy Fails the People}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2024}, month = aug, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PI-153-AGDP-Bosman-FINAL-WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }