ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a long-term assessment of democracy and democratic processes in Africa from the colonial period to the present day. The African independencies brought freedom (uhuru) albeit under worldwide conditions of strong capitalist and imperialist pressure. In contrast to those who advocate the proposals of liberal or social democratic democracy for Africa, the author has adopted a critical perspective towards the prevailing new democracy in Africa. There are three components to this new democracy: A popular way of life; popular participation; and popular power. The strength of the concept of popular is based on the idea that it is anti-imperialist. Popular also opposes the concept of national, revealing the limitations of the first national independencies in Africa.
