African Elites, NEPAD and Institutional Confidence: Findings from a Seven Nation Survey

Abstract

The important role that needs to be played by African elites in implementing developmental initiatives such as the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and the African Union (AU) has been widely recognized. This article focuses on the confidence which African elites have in NEPAD and the AU, as well as in the state institutions which are ultimately responsible for the successful implementation of these initiatives. Data is obtained from a study of elite perceptions conducted in 2002 by the Centre for International and Comparative Politics at the University of Stellenbosch in seven African countries. Our analysis shows that there is a significant discrepancy between high levels of elite confidence in the AU and NEPAD and their low levels of confidence in state structures. It is shown that the relatively low confidence levels in the state are directly correlated with low levels of confidence in civil society. If Africa places its hopes on the AU and NEPAD to point it in the direction of political stability and growth, she will have to create a political climate where confidence in the state can grow significantly. In this context, the role which civil society can play in bringing about greater state accountability and thereby increasing state capacity should not be underestimated.