ABSTRACT
Africa is indeed experiencing changes of monumental proportions. At the economic, social, political, and cultural levels, new discourses, new alignment of forces, the emergence of new institutions and leaders, as well as the construction of alternative political platforms are rocking the continent. The end of the Cold War saw a rather steady abandonment of old dictators and other undemocratic networks constructed to promote essentially Western interests in Africa. All African states have witnessed the emergence of new pro-democracy movements, leaders, political parties, and issues on the political agenda. In Southern Africa, some leaders who were voted into power as part of the democratic wave have rapidly lost the support of their constituencies. The emerging political culture in Africa has elicited very fantastic and ingenious responses from African leaders. Power is central to the survival of political elite with only a tenuous relationship to production. The challenge of globalization is probably the most critical challenge for Africa.
