Abstract:
The transfer of power to African leaders, at the end of the colonial era gave birth to
authoritarian regimes. African Nationalist leaders liberated the continent from the chains of
colonialism and bound it in the stone walls of authoritarianism and dictatorship. This is
because Africa inherited institutions that were meant to be oppressive of the colonised
peoples. These institutions had no room for political pluralism, public participation, free
speech, a free press, and free movement among other fundamental rights and freedoms that
allow for democratic governance to flourish. Without undergoing major transformations,
African governments remained a product of their colonial heritage naturally becoming
totalitarian, oppressive and undemocratic.
Description:
Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2010.
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Law University of Pretoria, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Law (LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa). Prepared under the supervision of Dr. Girmachew Aneme of the Faculty of Law, University of Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia. 2010.
