Bertha Z. Osei-Hwedie

Japan in Africa: building sustainable peace?

This article analyses the contributions and impact of Japans peacebuilding role in Africa by examining Tokyos motives, mechanisms and challenges in peacebuilding. Peacebuilding is essential to achieving durable peace, sustainable development and human security in post-conflict African societies, aiming as it does for conflict prevention, non-recurrence of violent conflict and promotion of social justice. The challenges of peacebuilding, however, involve mobilising adequate financial and human resources to undertake numerous initiatives, coordinating the efforts of a variety of actors and producing positive outcomes. External donors and international organisations are the major sources of financial and material assistance to peacebuilding programs in Africa; Japan has emerged as an important partner in this regard. Questions that arise include why has Japan embarked on peacebuilding in Africa? What model has Japan employed in this new endeavour — does Japan present a new donor model of peacebuilding different from the West? And how effective have Japans efforts been? The discussion concludes by examining lessons Japan has learned and implications for Africa.

In permanent opposition: Botswana's other political parties

Political opposition parties are considered crucial to the nurturing, enhancing and consolidating of democracy in every political system. Indeed, their existence is proof of political tolerance, competitive party elections, the provision of choices to the voting public and the possibility of alternation in power. However, the political opposition on the African continent is generally weak, and particularly so in Botswana, resulting in the predominance of the ruling party in political affairs. This article analyses the weaknesses of Botswanas opposition parties by tracing their historical evolution, characteristics, electoral base, and performance against the background of the political and electoral system in Botswana and the strength of the ruling party itself. It concludes that future prospects for the opposition to make greater inroads into the Botswana Democratic Partys support are small because of the fragmented nature of the opposition itself and the relative satisfaction of citizens with the current governments performance.

Botswana : Indigenous Institutions, Civil Society and Government in Peace Building in Southern Africa

The challenge of peace building in Southern Africa is how to blend traditional practices and modem liberal methods of peace building into sustainable peace. This requires the involvement and collaboration of indigenous institutions, civil society, government and the international community. The call for a prominent role for traditional institutions and civil society in peace building does not ignore the problems associated with traditional cultures, norms and institutions; and reflects the need to make indigenous institutions and civil society relevant and applicable to contemporary peace building efforts. It is the positive elements of culture and civil society as facilitators, enforcers, and instruments for conflict resolution and prevention, peace building and promotion of democracy and development that are emphasized. Botswana is discussed to illustrate how it uses three main mechanisms, namely, indigenous norms and institutions of the Tswana traditional culture, institutions of chieftaincy and Kgotla (village assembly); modem democratic institutions such as civil society and the judiciary; and socio-economic development for conflict resolution and prevention, and governance. Botswanas use of indigenous institutions, civil society and government structures as the bases for negotiations and adjudication in peace building serves as a learning experience for other countries to emulate.

Constitutional amendments in Zambia: a challenge to democracy?

ABSTRACT Multi‐party elections which swept most of Africa in the 1980s and 1990s led the way for the establishment of democracy. The major concern now is the consolidation of democracy. The paper discusses the amendments to the 1991 Constitution of Zambia and their impact on democracy. The amendments, although well intentioned, provide a good example of an attempt by an incumbent elite at legitimizing its hold on power while denying others the right to participate in the process and, or challenge the power holders. The withholding of financial assistance by Zambias major donors is not only a classic use of ‘aid’ to enforce adherence to democratic principles, but is symbolic of the failure of civil society and opposition parties on one hand, and the ruling elite on the other to reconcile their differences to accommodate various interests for the sake of democracy and political stability.