, HED4812
ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
DUE DATE: 2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPIC 1: FACTORS DRIVING FROM MULTIPARTY SYSTEMS TO VARIOUS FORMS
OF AUTHORITARIANISM IN AFRICA UNTIL THE 1970S…………………………………3
TOPIC 2: DECOLONIAL SOLUTIONS TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC DRIVERS OF HIV AND
AIDS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA…………………………………………………………….7
TOPIC 3: AFRICAN UNION SHIFT FROM OAU AND DECOLONIAL REFORMS FOR
CONTINENTAL GOVERNANCE…………………………………………………………….12
2
, TOPIC ONE
FACTORS DRIVING THE TRANSITION FROM MULTIPARTY SYSTEMS TO VARIOUS
FORMS OF AUTHORITARIANISM IN AFRICA UNTIL THE 1970s
INTRODUCTION
The wave of African independence in the late 1950s and 1960s was accompanied by
widespread optimism about democratic governance. Many newly independent states
adopted multiparty political systems modelled on former colonial powers. However, by the
early 1970s, most African countries had transitioned from multiparty systems to various
forms of authoritarianism, including one-party states, military regimes, and personalised
presidential rule. This political shift was not accidental but the result of interconnected
historical, economic, institutional, and international factors. This essay critically discusses
the main factors that promoted the transition from multiparty systems to authoritarian rule
in Africa until the 1970s.
COLONIAL LEGACY AND WEAK INSTITUTIONS
One of the most significant factors contributing to authoritarianism was the colonial legacy
inherited by African states. Colonial administrations were designed primarily for resource
extraction and political control, not for nurturing democratic institutions (Young, 1994). As a
result, newly independent states inherited weak bureaucracies, underdeveloped political
institutions, and fragile judicial systems. These institutional weaknesses made it difficult to
sustain competitive multiparty politics.
Furthermore, colonial boundaries grouped together diverse ethnic, linguistic, and religious
communities within artificial states. These divisions often translated into ethnic-based
political competition after independence (Horowitz, 1985). Political parties frequently
formed along ethnic or regional lines rather than ideological platforms, intensifying
tensions and undermining national cohesion. In this context, leaders often argued that
multiparty competition deepened divisions and threatened national unity, thereby justifying
the adoption of one-party systems.
NATION-BUILDING AND THE QUEST FOR UNITY
Post-independence leaders faced the enormous task of nation-building. Many believed
that political pluralism would weaken fragile national identities. Leaders such as Kwame
3
ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
DUE DATE: 2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPIC 1: FACTORS DRIVING FROM MULTIPARTY SYSTEMS TO VARIOUS FORMS
OF AUTHORITARIANISM IN AFRICA UNTIL THE 1970S…………………………………3
TOPIC 2: DECOLONIAL SOLUTIONS TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC DRIVERS OF HIV AND
AIDS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA…………………………………………………………….7
TOPIC 3: AFRICAN UNION SHIFT FROM OAU AND DECOLONIAL REFORMS FOR
CONTINENTAL GOVERNANCE…………………………………………………………….12
2
, TOPIC ONE
FACTORS DRIVING THE TRANSITION FROM MULTIPARTY SYSTEMS TO VARIOUS
FORMS OF AUTHORITARIANISM IN AFRICA UNTIL THE 1970s
INTRODUCTION
The wave of African independence in the late 1950s and 1960s was accompanied by
widespread optimism about democratic governance. Many newly independent states
adopted multiparty political systems modelled on former colonial powers. However, by the
early 1970s, most African countries had transitioned from multiparty systems to various
forms of authoritarianism, including one-party states, military regimes, and personalised
presidential rule. This political shift was not accidental but the result of interconnected
historical, economic, institutional, and international factors. This essay critically discusses
the main factors that promoted the transition from multiparty systems to authoritarian rule
in Africa until the 1970s.
COLONIAL LEGACY AND WEAK INSTITUTIONS
One of the most significant factors contributing to authoritarianism was the colonial legacy
inherited by African states. Colonial administrations were designed primarily for resource
extraction and political control, not for nurturing democratic institutions (Young, 1994). As a
result, newly independent states inherited weak bureaucracies, underdeveloped political
institutions, and fragile judicial systems. These institutional weaknesses made it difficult to
sustain competitive multiparty politics.
Furthermore, colonial boundaries grouped together diverse ethnic, linguistic, and religious
communities within artificial states. These divisions often translated into ethnic-based
political competition after independence (Horowitz, 1985). Political parties frequently
formed along ethnic or regional lines rather than ideological platforms, intensifying
tensions and undermining national cohesion. In this context, leaders often argued that
multiparty competition deepened divisions and threatened national unity, thereby justifying
the adoption of one-party systems.
NATION-BUILDING AND THE QUEST FOR UNITY
Post-independence leaders faced the enormous task of nation-building. Many believed
that political pluralism would weaken fragile national identities. Leaders such as Kwame
3
