THE MYSTERY OF DEMOCRACY IN A SEMI LITERATE SOCIETY; THE CASE IN UGANDA.

THE MYSTERY OF DEMOCRACY IN A SEMI-LITERATE SOCIETY;
 THE CASE IN UGANDA




    by PROSPER AHABWE 

 “(In the absence of knowledge), democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.” -G. Bernard Shaw. 

Excerpt from the main essay!

THE MYSTERY OF DEMOCRACY IN A SEMI-LITERATE SOCIETY: THE CASE OF UGANDA

Democracy  refers to a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. In fact, democracy means the people’s freedom to choose who to govern them and how. However, democracy is not just a form of government, but a life style which every group of people must aspire to live by.

Socrates depicted democracy as unrealistic if the masses are not educated on how to exercise their rights, and so the making of decisions should be by  people who are well versed with  competence on how society should be run. B. Shaw shares this view and expressed it in his writings, ‘if despotism failed only for want of a capable despot, what chance has democracy, which requires a whole population of capable voters.’ This expression shows that Shaw equally believed that the general populace is not by birth right obliged to select their leaders, but rather by their competence. Construing the views of Socrates and Shaw, it is quite evident that they were not against popular participation and inclusiveness in democratic politics, but rather were advocating for capacity building amongst the populace, to equip them with the necessary knowledge regarding what should be required of leader, and what decisions are crucial for society, so that they make decisions backed by knowledge, and so the world would see the election of capable leaders. This argument takes us to the question of education as a key factor in the development of democracy..

For any society to ride on the wheels of democracy, it must first secure the fuel of education. Democracy does not flourish in a society predominantly illiterate, and this partly explains the case in Uganda and many developing countries. The most educated countries are the most democratic, and the least educated countries are the least democratic. That fact is irreversible, although it is negotiable on some grounds. That states can ensure education of their masses but by giving them education that keeps them politically illiterate. This partly explains why the great leaders of France and Austria, (Napoleon 1 and Metternich) in the early 19th century discouraged the teaching of liberal subjects like literature, philosophy, and history. They knew these subjects impart the knowledge and desire for democracy which was detrimental to their power that rode on the despotic horse.

In  Africa, comparing two countries of Botswana and Sudan. Botswana has literacy rate of about 89% in comparison to Sudan with about 60%. This explains the huge democratic deficiency in Sudan, compared to Botswana which has a classic democracy that has stood the test of the time.

The above illustration can also explain the situation in Uganda. Uganda has an exclusive education system that caters for the haves and ignoring the have nots. While the have nots  know that education is the only key to liberate the future of their children, that they invest in it at the detriment of their health, the meals, and social welfare but for its sake. In Uganda, a family may go with only two meals a day, may not afford the costs of modern medication, may live under the poorest housing conditions, but will use all earnings to pay the costly education. This is because they are under a reasonable presumption that education is the only salvation for the future. Despite these efforts, the number of school drop outs remains high and the number of University graduates keeps low. Such a society cannot effectively develop democratically. The kind of politics practiced is self explanatory of the nature of education they under go; an education that is meant to keep them politically docile, encourages submissiveness, and encourages individualism rather than promoting communal roles. In the system, there is gross disorientation of learners in terms of democracy, that even the literate succumb to the repressive fangs of autocracy.

The Ugandan system of government is visibly and descriptively a ‘democracy’, but inside it is marred by open corruption, tyranny, state brutality, elite impunity, disrespect for human rights, oppression and exclusiveness,  arbitrary use of power, and inconsiderate making of government decisions. Decision making is in the hands of the state, with minimal stretches to the people. Even those decisions that are stretched to the people’s views, the process is corrupted by open bribery. The issue of open bribery has become intense even in elections, in both the starving illiterate peasants who are the most prone, and literate, financially-frustrated elites who do not escape the fangs of bribery.  

We note that democracy means a society where the people engage in decision making, to determine the policies that govern them. In Uganda, policies are imposed on to the people. Even the people’s representatives who are meant to determine policies are also incapable of determining these policies, with some of them being school drop outs, and being ideologically deficient of how to advance these policies. After all, some of these representatives especially members of parliament are half educated but also fed on a deficient education system. But who elects these semi-literate people into office in the presence of literate ones? The disgruntled voters who base their decisions on popularity rather than reason, financial capacity rather than intellectual capacity. The force behind this mode of decision making is either general illiteracy or political illiteracy or both.

Political literacy guarantees that the oppressed find means to subdue their oppressors with whatever means, least costly in terms of life. The fact that Ugandans have continuously lived under a repressive regime is an indicator of political illiteracy. This is because democracy is not for the ideologically bankrupt. Therefore, any organization that wishes to invest in democratic development in  Uganda or Africa, must as of relative necessity invest in education to achieve political literacy.

 

PROSPER AHABWE

A full document can be found here:

https://us.docworkspace.com/d/sIEaduaYy7-6diQY 

julianprosper36@gmail.com

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