The Logic of African Neopatrimonialism: What Role for Donors?

Abstract

Today a number of sub‐Saharan African countries display the outward signs of modern, democratic states. International aid agencies often treat them as though power and decision‐making reside within government institutions and that they function as designed. When they do not they are labelled dysfunctional though their action is actually quite logical when viewed through a ‘neopatrimonial lens’. This article outlines a number of neopatrimonial practices observed in Africa in the past two decades and attempts to explain the ‘logic’ that underpins them. It provides several recommendations about the way donors should assist states where deeply rooted anti‐democratic and non‐developmental behaviour dominates.

Government accounting reform in an ex-French African colony: The political economy of neocolonialism

“…However, the politicians in power could not ignore the unexpected resistance after ASTUC was adopted and their response was bureaucratic and rational -the government constituted a committee to visit 'C' Republic -the first country to adopt ASTUC -to ascertain whether to continue with it. However, as a committee member recounted: When [we] went to ['C' Republic] The suggestion is that the exercise was designed to present a veneer of bureaucratic accountability and legal-rational decision-making to gain legitimacy, as observed in other African countries (Cammack, 2007). The result of the inquiry was decided beforehand.…”

“…The lack of effective regulation and weak accounting enables them to dip into the Treasury to repay election expenses, exercise personalised patronage for voters and supporters, and sometimes personal enrichment (Bratton, 2007;Cammack, 2007).…”

“…5 Examples are recent purchases of tractors in Benin where millions of US dollars were misappropriated according to a parliamentary investigation -see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itvw6Ar5y4w [accessed Wednesday 15 January 2014], and what is known as the CEN-SAD scandal where millions of US dollars were di erted a d isappropriated the entire political establishment of the ou tr Kakai, , p. . practice. When 'Northern' accounting reforms hit African governance unanticipated and undesired consequences can arise (Cammack, 2007).…”

Globalisation, accounting and developing countries

“…Similar cases were reported for anti-corruption institutions in Malawi -they were used to eliminate political rivals. Local politicians may lack commitment to accounting reforms that erode their power to siphon public funds from government treasuries and extract economic rents within a façade of rules (Cammack, 2007). For example, anti-corruption initiatives in Uganda threatening the regime's patronage-based support lacked political commitment (Robinson, 2006).…”

Social Capital in Dealing with Neo-Patrimonial Governance of Street Vendors

“…In practice, however, these norms and rules make place for obviously personalized politics, a 'shadow state' [22], which 'leaves the formal institutions of government little more than an empty shell' [23]. Such a dual political system of governance, in which patrimonial politics exist next to, and feed off, modern bureaucracies, has been described as neopatrimonialism [24].…”