From Debt to Democratization: Africa's Transformation, 1980-2000

1. From Debt to Democratization, 1980-2000 HI177 | A History of Africa since 1800 Term 2 | Week 10 | Dr Sacha Hepburn

2. Outline of Lecture • Economic Decline and Growing Debts • Debt and Structural Adjustment • The End of the Cold War • Struggles for Democracy • Pro-democracy movements and civil society • Democratization • Zambia and Kenya • Conclusions

3. Economic Decline • Economic legacies of colonial rule: dependence on one or two exports for income and foreign exchange • 1960s: global prices of key commodities falls • 1970s: oil shocks lead to global spike in oil prices, increased import costs and declining export revenues • Economic mismanagement by African governments • African socialism: failures of nationalisation and villagization • State control leads to inefficiency and corruption • Capitalism regimes also suffer, distorted economies due to favouring supporters • Early 1980s: many African countries getting poorer year on year

4. Debt & Structural Adjustment • Late 1970s-80s: Many African states turn to International Monetary Fund & World Bank • Costs of debt servicing increases - $449 million in 1970 to $7.4 billion in 1984 • Conditionality: states must implement reforms determined by IMF and WB • Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPS): reduced gov spending, privatisation, removal of subsidies and tariffs The consequences of structural adjustment? Cartoon undated

5. The End of the Cold War • End of the Cold War meant a reduction in international support for African dictatorships (East & West) • Overthrow of authoritarian governments in Europe inspired and reinvigorated African pro-democracy movements • Western governments began to push human rights and democracy promotion as key policy concerns Fall of Berlin Wall, 1989

6. Struggles for Democracy • Long history of pro-democracy movements • Since independence, journalists, religious leaders and trade unionists tried to prevent government abuses of power • Resistance even under military rule • 1970s: opposition broadened and deepened – impact of economic decline and government intransigence Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) supporters in Zambia, undated

7. Struggles for Democracy • 1980s: generational shift as young people became politicised - no link to liberation movements, experiences of unemployment and repression • Civil society grows - moves from criticising individual policies to foundations of authoritarianism • Some governments pursue reform in face of opposition, others pursue repression • Domestic and intl pressure builds – reform of some sort inevitable? Pro-democracy march, Nigeria, undated

8. Democratization • Democratization involves transition to multipartyism, reconstitution of a new political order, consolidating democratic gains • Zambia • 1970s: Collapse of economy • 1980s: Growth of broad pro-democracy/anti-UNIP movement • 1991: President Kaunda chose reform, peaceful multiparty elections • Kenya • Stability of KANU one-party state declined over time • 1988 onward: opposition grew despite state repression • President Moi tried to hold onto power but domestic and intl (US) pressure intensified • Elections held in 1992 and won by KANU

9. Conclusions • Democratization of late 1980s to 1990s resulted from combination of: • Economic decline from the 1970s and growing debts • Impacts of the end of the Cold War • Work of local pro-democracy movements and civil society • Democratisation is far from complete: • Depth of democracy is shallow in many places • Military interventions in politics continue • Widespread ethnic voting and rise of exclusionary, often violent identity politics • Many opposition movements continue to face violence and repression