Abstract:
The subject of discourse in this study is ‘leadership and governance
imperatives for development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’. The
qualitative research method was deemed the most suitable in attaining
the objectives of the study. The study comprises six chapters. The main
objective of the study is to contribute to an understanding of the
challenges that constitute a stumbling block for the establishment of a
system that promotes good governance and places the DRC on the path
to development. Beyond the analysis of challenges, the study also
examines the environment in which leaders evolve and it focuses on
leadership challenges and governance imperatives that prevail in the
current setting of the country. In this context, the study formulates a
framework for leadership development. The study aims at proposing a
perspective for leadership development considering the fact that the DRC
urgently requires leaders who are competent and effective, and who can
consider modern principles of management and governance as provided
by the case studies of Brazil and Botswana in order to offer the much
needed leadership in the nation-building process. Considering the crises
the DRC has endured throughout the years, leadership’s role is of great
importance as leaders have the ability to transform the adverse
circumstances that Congolese people have faced since the inception of
independence. The study insists that is possible only if leaders can
inspire hope and change the patterns of how things have been done in
the country. The DRC needs leaders who are able to help unleash its
potential and allow the country to regain and to maximise its strategic
position as a significant player in the continental geopolitical affairs. The
thesis argues that the success of any leadership mainly depends on the
kind of social order that prevails in the DRC and on the type of the
political arrangement adopted by its leaders.
The main challenge facing the DRC is establishing an effective
leadership. The legacy of colonisation coupled with the misrule by
Congolese cadres have made it difficult for the DRC to secure a system
that promotes good governance and creates conditions for economic
development. An effective and purposeful leadership has the ability to
provide a clear policy guideline that might bring about change in the
functioning of the country’s institutions. In the case of the DRC, an
effective leadership will be the one that will create an environment that
promotes the reforms much needed in the political and administrative
structures of the country and, consequently, enhance conditions for a
successful implementation of policies for the betterment of all. This study
proposes that Congolese people deserve a civilised nation and a set of
capable leaders who can maximise the country’s abundant resources so
that citizens can benefit from the country’s wealth. As soon as the DRC
finds the path to prosperity and development, it will be possible for the
country to also impact positively on its neighbouring countries and the
whole continent at large.
