HSY3701
Assignment 3 Semester 2 2025
Due Date: 7 October 2025
Detailed solutions, explanations, workings
and references.
+27 81 278 3372
, TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPIC 1: CRITICALLY DISCUSS THE MAIN FACTORS THAT PROMOTED THE
TRANSITION FROM MULTIPARTY SYSTEMS TO VARIOUS FORMS OF
AUTHORITARIANISM IN AFRICA UNTIL THE 1970S. ............................................. 3
TOPIC 2: EXPLAIN WHY HIV/AIDS HAS SPREAD SO RAPIDLY THROUGH SUB-
SAHARAN AFRICA AND WHY ITS EFFECTS HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING. ....... 11
TOPIC 3: DISCUSS HOW THE FORMATION OF THE AFRICAN UNITY (AU) IN
2012, WHICH REPLACED THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN UNITY (OAU),
USHERED IN A NEW ERA IN AFRICAN CONTINENTAL POLITICS. PROVIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL OVERVIEW OF THE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OF BOTH THE
AU AND THE OAU BETWEEN 1963 AND 2010 IN MODERN AFRICAN POLITICS.
................................................................................................................................. 20
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
, TOPIC 1: CRITICALLY DISCUSS THE MAIN FACTORS THAT PROMOTED THE
TRANSITION FROM MULTIPARTY SYSTEMS TO VARIOUS FORMS OF
AUTHORITARIANISM IN AFRICA UNTIL THE 1970S.
1. Introduction
The decades following African independence were marked by high hopes of
democracy, unity, and progress. However, by the 1970s, most African countries had
transitioned from multiparty democratic systems to one-party states, military regimes,
or personal dictatorships. This shift was not a coincidence but a complex process
influenced by political, economic, social, and historical factors. The main factors that
promoted authoritarianism included weak political foundations, ethnic divisions,
economic dependency, neo-colonial pressures, and the influence of Cold War
politics. Additionally, the ambitions of political elites and the fragility of postcolonial
institutions created fertile ground for the rise of personal rule and military
intervention.
To understand this transformation, it is important to clarify key concepts. One-party
rule refers to a political system where a single political party controls the state and
suppresses or bans opposition parties. Dictatorship is a form of governance where
power is concentrated in the hands of one ruler or a small elite, often maintained
through coercion and repression. Civil war refers to violent internal conflict within a
country between groups competing for political control.
This essay discusses the key factors that led to the rise of authoritarian regimes in
Africa between the 1960s and 1970s, focusing on the weakness of democratic
institutions, the rise of patronage and personal rule, the role of the military, economic
challenges, and the influence of external actors. Examples will be drawn from case
studies including Ghana, Uganda, Zaire, and Tanzania to illustrate how these
processes unfolded across the continent (Nugent, 2004; Arnold, 2005; Cooper,
2002).
2. The Weak Foundations of Postcolonial States
2.1 Colonial Legacy and Artificial Borders
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
, One of the most significant factors that contributed to the rise of authoritarianism was
the colonial legacy. European colonial powers left behind artificial state boundaries
that grouped together diverse ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups without shared
national identities (Cooper, 2002). At independence, many African leaders faced the
enormous task of nation-building in countries with little sense of unity. The colonial
state had been authoritarian by nature; it ruled through coercion, centralisation, and
exclusion of local participation. When African leaders inherited this system, they
often retained its authoritarian structures.
For example, the French and British colonial models were highly centralised, relying
on indirect rule through chiefs who enforced colonial policies. After independence,
leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya
maintained centralised systems to preserve control and ensure stability (Nugent,
2004). The inherited bureaucracies were not designed for democratic governance
but for command and compliance. Thus, the very institutions meant to uphold
democracy were ill-equipped to manage pluralism.
2.2 Weak Political Institutions and Lack of Democratic Culture
Multiparty systems that emerged after independence were often fragile. Political
parties were hastily formed during the nationalist struggle and lacked clear
ideologies or organisational discipline. Many were built around ethnic or regional
loyalties rather than national unity. Because of this, political competition became
divisive and destabilising rather than democratic.
Elections were viewed not as a mechanism for peaceful leadership change but as a
battle for control of state resources. The state was the main source of employment
and wealth, creating a "winner-takes-all" mentality. Leaders feared that losing power
meant losing access to the economic benefits of the state. As a result, many
resorted to suppressing opposition, manipulating constitutions, or declaring one-
party systems to maintain control (Arnold, 2005).
In Nigeria, regional and ethnic divisions among the Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo
undermined national unity and led to the collapse of the First Republic in 1966.
Similarly, in Ghana, Nkrumah dissolved opposition parties and declared a one-party
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
Assignment 3 Semester 2 2025
Due Date: 7 October 2025
Detailed solutions, explanations, workings
and references.
+27 81 278 3372
, TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPIC 1: CRITICALLY DISCUSS THE MAIN FACTORS THAT PROMOTED THE
TRANSITION FROM MULTIPARTY SYSTEMS TO VARIOUS FORMS OF
AUTHORITARIANISM IN AFRICA UNTIL THE 1970S. ............................................. 3
TOPIC 2: EXPLAIN WHY HIV/AIDS HAS SPREAD SO RAPIDLY THROUGH SUB-
SAHARAN AFRICA AND WHY ITS EFFECTS HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING. ....... 11
TOPIC 3: DISCUSS HOW THE FORMATION OF THE AFRICAN UNITY (AU) IN
2012, WHICH REPLACED THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN UNITY (OAU),
USHERED IN A NEW ERA IN AFRICAN CONTINENTAL POLITICS. PROVIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL OVERVIEW OF THE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OF BOTH THE
AU AND THE OAU BETWEEN 1963 AND 2010 IN MODERN AFRICAN POLITICS.
................................................................................................................................. 20
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
, TOPIC 1: CRITICALLY DISCUSS THE MAIN FACTORS THAT PROMOTED THE
TRANSITION FROM MULTIPARTY SYSTEMS TO VARIOUS FORMS OF
AUTHORITARIANISM IN AFRICA UNTIL THE 1970S.
1. Introduction
The decades following African independence were marked by high hopes of
democracy, unity, and progress. However, by the 1970s, most African countries had
transitioned from multiparty democratic systems to one-party states, military regimes,
or personal dictatorships. This shift was not a coincidence but a complex process
influenced by political, economic, social, and historical factors. The main factors that
promoted authoritarianism included weak political foundations, ethnic divisions,
economic dependency, neo-colonial pressures, and the influence of Cold War
politics. Additionally, the ambitions of political elites and the fragility of postcolonial
institutions created fertile ground for the rise of personal rule and military
intervention.
To understand this transformation, it is important to clarify key concepts. One-party
rule refers to a political system where a single political party controls the state and
suppresses or bans opposition parties. Dictatorship is a form of governance where
power is concentrated in the hands of one ruler or a small elite, often maintained
through coercion and repression. Civil war refers to violent internal conflict within a
country between groups competing for political control.
This essay discusses the key factors that led to the rise of authoritarian regimes in
Africa between the 1960s and 1970s, focusing on the weakness of democratic
institutions, the rise of patronage and personal rule, the role of the military, economic
challenges, and the influence of external actors. Examples will be drawn from case
studies including Ghana, Uganda, Zaire, and Tanzania to illustrate how these
processes unfolded across the continent (Nugent, 2004; Arnold, 2005; Cooper,
2002).
2. The Weak Foundations of Postcolonial States
2.1 Colonial Legacy and Artificial Borders
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
, One of the most significant factors that contributed to the rise of authoritarianism was
the colonial legacy. European colonial powers left behind artificial state boundaries
that grouped together diverse ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups without shared
national identities (Cooper, 2002). At independence, many African leaders faced the
enormous task of nation-building in countries with little sense of unity. The colonial
state had been authoritarian by nature; it ruled through coercion, centralisation, and
exclusion of local participation. When African leaders inherited this system, they
often retained its authoritarian structures.
For example, the French and British colonial models were highly centralised, relying
on indirect rule through chiefs who enforced colonial policies. After independence,
leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya
maintained centralised systems to preserve control and ensure stability (Nugent,
2004). The inherited bureaucracies were not designed for democratic governance
but for command and compliance. Thus, the very institutions meant to uphold
democracy were ill-equipped to manage pluralism.
2.2 Weak Political Institutions and Lack of Democratic Culture
Multiparty systems that emerged after independence were often fragile. Political
parties were hastily formed during the nationalist struggle and lacked clear
ideologies or organisational discipline. Many were built around ethnic or regional
loyalties rather than national unity. Because of this, political competition became
divisive and destabilising rather than democratic.
Elections were viewed not as a mechanism for peaceful leadership change but as a
battle for control of state resources. The state was the main source of employment
and wealth, creating a "winner-takes-all" mentality. Leaders feared that losing power
meant losing access to the economic benefits of the state. As a result, many
resorted to suppressing opposition, manipulating constitutions, or declaring one-
party systems to maintain control (Arnold, 2005).
In Nigeria, regional and ethnic divisions among the Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo
undermined national unity and led to the collapse of the First Republic in 1966.
Similarly, in Ghana, Nkrumah dissolved opposition parties and declared a one-party
Varsity Cube 2025 +27 81 278 3372
