Contextualising the Regeneration of Africa’s Indigenous Governance and Management Systems and Practices
Loading...
Date
2020
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Administratio Publica
Abstract
The primary aim of this article is to remind contemporary public administration
analysts and policy-makers of the need to position indigenous governance
management systems and practices within mainstream intellectual discourse.
The African continent has suffered a tormented history. This is partly
due to the different historical periods and deliberate efforts to Westernise all
explanations concerning African governance, knowledge management systems
and practices. Centuries-old indigenous African knowledge regarding
the management of societal affairs has been overshadowed by colonialism,
neocolonialism, global capitalism and the promotion of Western organisational
management/leadership practices. Furthermore, Western cultures
showed intellectual arrogance by painting anything African in a negative
light. Yet, indigenous African countries had their own governance systems
and knowledge management practices that are worthy of any academic
and intellectual theorisation and discourse. While the article does not
argue that these indigenous systems and practices are flawless, the societies
under study exhibited important features that can provide a lens for
understanding contemporary challenges surrounding public administration
and theorisation.
Description
Keywords
Indigenous Governance, Management Systems and Practices