Multipartism and the matrilineal governance system of the bemba speaking people of Zambia : an african theological perspective

Abstract

This study is an African theological contribution towards the rehabilitation of an appropriate plural democracy which demonstrates a Zambian- African value system in governance. It is argued that Zambia’s political salvation cannot come from the presently known majoritarian (Multiparty) democracy imposed by western countries as they are a disaster to the African political systems inherent in its cultural heritage. To this effect, the study proposes and discusses the consensus principle for an African political theology and practice as an appropriate model of engagement in Zambian politics that would unequivocally answer to democratic values of the Zambian context of governance. It is clearly argued that, the consensus principle in governance in African society is a common denominator in all African traditional politics. The matrilineal governance system of the Bemba tribe has been used as a point of departure. It goes without question that Zambia’s political history has been on crossroads for the past fifty years. The country has vacillated between Multipartism and One Party authoritarian governments. During the past fifty years of independence, Zambia has failed to reach a consensus for a people driven constitution that would permeate the value system of the people in governance as such uncertainty hovers around the governance of the country whose foreign influence has plunged the country into massive tribalism and regional politics causing a danger to the unity and peace of the country. It awes to these concerns that this dissertation aims to contextualise Zambia’s political dilemmas and to locate the nature of multi-party democracy in a multi -ethnic country and the consequences thereof. The focus of the argument is that if well harnessed, the traditional African governance system of democracy by consensus has great potential to bring about political stability, accommodate diverse interests and accelerate social and economic development in all parts of the country without bias towards any particular tribe or region. While some African intellectuals would want to dismiss the indigenous models of governance as merely suitable in the pre- colonial era, this study contends that traditional concepts of governance can be part of the solution to political chaos that generally is characterised in several African states other than Zambia.