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Former President of Tanzania Jakaya M. Kikwete and former Mozambican Prime Minister Luisa D. Diogo discussed the state of political governance in Africa at a Monday evening Institute of Politics forum.
The event was moderated by Michael R. Sinclair, special advisor to the Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program. During the event, Kikwete and Diogo spoke about unemployment among younger adults, slow economic growth, debt crises, and the difficulties of holding transparent elections.
Sinclair highlighted the stark age gap between African governmental leaders and the general population: while the median age of all Africans is 19, the median age of Africa’s political leaders is 63. As an older generation fulfills these leadership positions, Sinclair noted, younger Africans face a high unemployment rate.
Kikwete acknowledged the seriousness of the unemployment crisis, calling it “one of the biggest challenges we have in the continent.”
If the current unemployment situation continues and employment does not improve, he said, young people will “have no future.”
“We have to give skills to these people, but also the opportunity to be able to be productive,” he said.
Kikwete also addressed debt relief in African countries, noting the pressure to repay loans has stretched national budgets to their limits.
“If you have to spend a lot of the money that you’re collecting from taxes on debt servicing, you will not be able to serve your people,” he said.
Both panelists underscored the need for more skilled job opportunities and training resources to help African nations reduce debt.
Diogo advocated for fostering a “creative” and “innovative” environment, encouraging African nations to approach their economies “in a different way.”
Sinclair also asked the speakers to discuss potential instability, referencing surveys showing that over 30 percent of Africans “are willing to entertain the idea of a military takeover in the event that they perceive their government to be corrupt.”
“Sometimes, the coup d’état is welcome because people don’t see an alternative,” Diogo said.
“Democracy is about commitment and deliverance,” she said. “When you don’t deliver, you have to be judged in elections and challenged in elections.”
Kikweke also pointed to the ongoing issues of “integrity and corruption” within African governments. During his presidency, Tanzania fell to 116 out of 178 in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, according to Reuters at the time.
To prevent flight from African countries, Kikwete called for partnerships between Europe and African countries to create more opportunities within Africa.
“If the pasture is green in Europe, and the pasture is brown in Africa, nobody is going to stay in Africa,” Kikwete said.
—Staff writer Akshaya Ravi can be reached at akshaya.ravi@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @akshayaravi22.
—Staff writer Saketh Sundar can be reached at saketh.sundar@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @saketh_sundar.
