Dr Peter Mbile
By Dr. Peter Mbile
The future of politics in Africa is participatory and non-partisan.
And if Cameroon is to lead rather than follow, then we must look inwards, to our own history, for the inspiration and guidance that the present political landscape so desperately needs.
It is both ironic and tragic that today, the democratic process in Cameroon is marred by bitter divisions and political tribalism, which often spill over into ethnic hatred and community-level violence.
So toxic is the atmosphere that we now require legal instruments to regulate “ *hate speech* ,” a euphemism for what is essentially politically motivated ethnic hostility. This is not democracy, it is dysfunction masquerading as pluralism.
And yet, the solution lies not in theory, but in our lived history, particularly in that of *Southern Cameroons* , which once served as a beacon of participatory governance and inter-communal harmony.
Despite its noisy political culture and passionate debates, even cases of human excess, Southern Cameroons was an open, cosmopolitan society where participation mattered more than party lines, and contribution outweighed origin.
One did not need to wear a particular badge or speak a particular language to belong.
What mattered was one’s willingness to serve, to lead, and to be accountable to the people.
*Let the record (albeit incomplete) speak*.
Southern Cameroons was, for a time, part of Nigeria, a full 44 years under British colonial administration.
This administrative arrangement naturally brought with it people from across Nigeria and beyond.
And yet, when it came to politics, there was no hue and cry over “outsiders.”
Ghanaians like *E.K. Mensah* held senior administrative responsibilities. Cameroonians from across the Mungo like *Mr. Dibongue* , hailing from Douala, were deeply embedded in the region’s political fabric. Names like *Paul Engo, S.N. Ekobena* , and others from the East were not only accepted, they were celebrated.
This wasn’t tokenism.
These individuals played central roles in shaping the policies and politics of the time.
There were locally elected parliamentarians, public servants, and influential actors who were part of a system that prioritized representation over partisanship.
*We can go further.*
Who can forget *Paul Senjo,* also known as Paul Bamileke, who served the West Cameroon population in business and society? Or *Hon. Betow,* a respected legislator from outside the core Anglophone heartland? Or *Fayez Olabi* and his brother, Lebanese businessmen and film moguls who helped shape the entertainment culture of Kumba and Bamenda? Even *Benku and Akuna* , shoemakers with deep roots in Kumba’s economy, were figures of community significance.
And what of *Johnny Tezano, Lapiro de Mbanga,* and the irrepressible *Njomo Kevin* , whose chronicles of “K-town” captured the pulse of a socially dynamic South West?
These were not simply artists or observers, they were cultural historians of a region that understood belonging as a civic virtue, not a tribal entitlement.
So, the question must be asked: if Southern Cameroons could cultivate such a vibrant, inclusive political environment, why is it that today partisanship has become so poisonous that brothers and sisters are discouraged from even sitting together, let alone collaborating on development projects, simply because they carry different party banners?
In the past, Ministers were first and foremost elected Members of Parliament.
Some even served in sensitive Government positiins while being members of the opposition.
We spoke of majority parties forming governments, and not *ruling parties* .
Power, as we saw it, belonged to the people, not to the party.
Yes, material resources were limited at the time, Southern Cameroons had modest finances, little access to mineral wealth, and a constrained tax base.
But the system was legitimate.
Had we today’s natural resources, forests, minerals, and growing taxation revenue, combined with the legitimacy and inclusiveness of that earlier era, the developmental outcomes would likely have been far more tangible and enduring.
Instead, we are now caught in a form of multipartism that is neither adapted to our multicultural reality nor rooted in African values of harmony and consensus.
Instead of fostering accountability and innovation, it has become a breeding ground for division and distraction.
*But here’s the catch* .
We don’t need to abolish multiparty democracy to recover our spirit of non-partisan politics.
*What we need is a non-partisan mindset* Is this possible?. I say Yes!
This means embracing a culture where collaboration across party lines is normal, where development goals override ideological turf wars, and where civic contribution is not limited to party card holders.
In a true democracy, the act of voting is only the beginning.
The real work lies in what follows: engaging in community building, policy feedback, and grassroots governance.
In a country as diverse as Cameroon, multipartism without a non-partisan ethos is a recipe for fragmentation.
But multipartism with a shared commitment to local development, civic engagement, and mutual respect?
That is where our hope lies.The youth especially must lead this shift. They must reject the false dichotomy of “us versus them” and reclaim a politics grounded in purpose rather than partisanship.
They must see politics not as warfare, but as public service.
They must be willing to sit together, plan together, and build together, even when their *so-called party* affiliations differ.
So let us return, not nostalgically, but purposefully, to the Southern Cameroons example.
Let us draw from a time when people came together from every corner, across the Mungo, across the continent, across identities, to govern with decency, debate with respect, and develop with courage.
The future of politics is participatory.
It is non-partisan.
And it is African.
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(Dr. Peter Mbile is an management specialist and governance analyst based in Cameroon. He writes on democracy, development, and the importance of accountable leadership)