The role of the Comprador Bourgeoisies in Post-Independent Africa: the case of South Africa and Kenya

Abstract

The African Union’s Agenda 2063 is a long-term framework for Africa to advocate for structural transformation, inclusive economic growth, and sustainable development. It seeks to catapult African countries from low-income countries to middle- and high-income countries by 2063 by eradicating poverty, stabilising the continent, addressing inequality, fostering industrialisation, promoting intra-African trade, and developing infrastructure. The Agenda’s First Ten-Year Implementation Plan was to be implemented by African Union member states for ten years from 2014 to 2023. However, neo-colonialism in Kenya and South Africa resulted in uncertainty regarding the implementation of Agenda 2063. Neo-colonialism can be traced from the independence processes of both countries, and included compromises made by the comprador bourgeoisies. Thus, it is important to critically analyse the role of the comprador bourgeoisies in maintaining neo-colonialism and implementing Agenda 2063. These compromises led to a Faustian pact between the comprador bourgeoisies, the domestic business class and foreign capital, that has perpetuated neo-colonialism. Neo-colonialism is exacerbated by neoliberal economic policies underpinned by accumulation by dispossession, in which the comprador bourgeoisies play an intermediary role. Consequently, the comprador bourgeoisies in both countries guaranteed optimum conditions for exploitation, with outward and externally oriented economies geared to serve external interests. These externally oriented economies have enabled multi-national corporations to extract profits and perpetuate asymmetric economic relations with developed countries. Thus, the comprador bourgeoisies undermined development through the reproduction of structural problems in both countries in the post-independence epoch. Neo-colonialism in both Kenya and South Africa has blocked the implementation of continental development programmes that advocate self-reliance, economic independence and development. Continental programmes such as the Monrovia Declaration, Lagos Plan of Action, Abuja Treaty, the Cairo Agenda and African Mining Vision among others, were not implemented despite both countries being signatories to these programmes. Therefore, Agenda 2063 has little prospect of being implemented due to lack of political will, rent-seeking behaviour and corruption, which derive from the comprador bourgeoisies’ intermediary role. This has negative implications on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area that came into effect on the 1 January 2021 and demonstrates that the Faustian pact between the comprador bourgeoisies, the domestic business class and foreign capital, has created a powerful lobby against development. To break this mould of underdevelopment and none-implementation due to neo-colonialism the thesis suggests the following: structural transformation, transformative leadership, strengthening the state and its institutions, and crafting policies that takes Sub-Sahara Africa’s realities into consideration.