Africa
economic development’ (Chabal 1V98:300). on me erne, there was more optimism regarding a few countries, including South Africa and Ghana, where it appeared that democracy might be taking root. เท such cases, the significance of contingent factors to democratic outcomes, including the importance of individual agency, was highlighted. เท such circumstances, it appeared that if there was sufficient political will on the part of political leaders to build democracy then, despite the obstacles, it could be developed in even the most unpropitious surroundings. This was confirmation that, as Sisk notes, ‘crafting a “conflict-mitigating democratic system” in plural societies’. . . depend[s] largely on the major social actors choosing to work together to that end' (1995: 40, emphasis added).
In the next part of the chapter we shall examine the structural impediments to democracy and democratic sustainability in Africa and see why they were collectively seen as major problems for democracy and democratic sustainability. In the second part of the chapter we turn to the case studies: South Africa and Ghana. In both countries, democratic outcomes were closely linked not only to the determination of their national leaders - Nelson Mandela and Jerry Rawlings, respectively - but also to a range of complementary domestic and international pressures. From a large array of potential countries, the case studies have been chosen to illustrate the relative significance to democracy and democratic consolidation of structural and contingent factors. However, they represent very different trajectories: Ghana is typical of Africa, with its long periods of military rule and economic weakness. The case of South Africa is, on the other hand, both regionally unique and too important to omit from a survey of African democratization and the problems of democratic consolidation. What they have in common is that each country engendered - at least qualified - optimism for its chances of democracy and democratic sustainability. This was largely because in the face of unfavourable structural characteristics - in South Africa, the legacy of apartheid was a huge impediment to overcome, while ill Ghana two decades of authoritarian rule and relative economic weakness were not conducive to easy or swift democratization - state leaders did extremely well to preside over a fair measure of democratic consolidation. In each case, encouraged by both internal and external actors, democratically elected leaders showed their commitment to democracy and put much effort into trying to develop it. More generally, the case studies highlight the importance of contingent factors in developing democracy in what might initially seem to be unpropitious surroundings.