Briefing Paper

Political Freedoms and Interest has yet to Translate into Mandela’s Vision of Participatory Democracy in Africa

“Democratic political systems rely on citizen participation, building wider channels of integration and richer networks of association, for their consolidation. Citizen participation can range from the bare minimum of voting to more active modes of citizenship, such as campaigning or being a member of a community organisation or social movement. In Africa, participation may also focus on powerful informal and traditional networks.”