Accountable Government in Africa : Perspectives from Public Law and Political Studies

Accountable government in Africa: introduction / Danwood Chirwa & Lia Nijzink Post-apartheid accountability: the transformation of a political idea / Andrew Nash The politics of constitutional reform in Zambia: from executive dominance to public participation? / Neo Simutanyi Judicial independence and the judicialisation of electoral politics in Malawi and Uganda / Siri Gloppen & Fidelis Kanyongolo From parliamentary supremacy to judicial review: relations between parliament and the judiciary in Tanzania / Jwani Mwaikusa Judicial review of parliamentary actions in South Africa: a nuanced interpretation of the separation of powers / Hugh Corder Prosecutions, politics and the law: the way things are / Philip Stenning The civilianisation of prosecutorial services in Tanzania / Sifuni Mchome Accountable governance and the role of national human rights institutions: the experience of the Malawi human rights commission / Danwood Chirwa & Redson Kapindu Balancing independence and accountability: the role of Chapter 9 institutions in South Africa's constitutional democracy / Pierre De Vos Accountability compromised: floor crossing in Malawi and South Africa / Lia Nijzink Democracy within political parties: the state of affairs in East and southern Africa / Augustine Magolowondo Political parties in Malawi: an accountability analysis / Nandini Patel Family matters: the interplay between formal and informal incentives for accountability in Mali's local communities / Martin van Vliet Understanding local forms of accountability: initial findings from Ghana and Malawi / Diana Cammack External accountability meets accountability assistance: the case of legislative strengthening in Africa / Peter Burnell. In the early 1990s, a wave of democratisation swept the African continents, resulting in a flurry of constitution-making and constitutional revision. Two decades later, leading experts in the fields of public law, political sciemnce and democratisation studies assess to what extent accountable governance has takenroot in Africa. this book represesents new knowldge about legal and political developments in a number of African countries - Ghana, Malawi, Mali, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, with further references to Mozambique, Kenya and Swaziland - bringing the policy goal of developing and deepening democratic governance and accountable government on the continent up to date Combining insights from public law and political studies, this volume looks at various institutions and mechanisms of accountability - national prosecuting authorities, the judiciary, human rights commissions, political parties and informal mechanisms. It assesses their effectiveness in holding African governments to account and how these institutions themselves are being held accountable. Examines ways of making African governments accountable and describes the extent to which these mechanisms work in practice. It presents new knowledge about legal and political developments in a number of African countries that are relevant to the policy goal of developing and deepening democratic governance and accountable government on the continent.