ABSTRACT
All African Governments that acquired independence in the 1960s had constitutions that provided for the protection of human rights, separation of powers, and independent judiciary including parliamentary bodies. But within a few years the constitutions were abrogated, nullified, or rewritten. In some cases single party structures were established, with the excuse that the Western constitutional model cannot be expected to take root in Africa. In my view, the widespread adoption of single party systems was the single most important catalyst to erode the collective public dream for constitutionally protected rights and the mle of law.
