Dar es Salaam – Renowned Pan-African philosopher Dr Joshua Maponga has controversially endorsed military dictatorships as a viable alternative for African governance, describing Western-style democracy as a “smokescreen of lies” that perpetuates imperialism and neocolonialism.
In a wide-ranging interview published on January 27, 2026, with Khalifa Said of The Chanzo, Dr Maponga argued that Africa needs “military dictators” who can “dictate the right thing” to overcome the continent’s challenges.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam, where he had delivered a public lecture on media bias, the Zimbabwean thinker claimed that military-led governments, such as the one in Burkina Faso under Captain Ibrahim Traoré, are succeeding where democratic systems have failed.
“Military dictators seem to be delivering more, delivering faster than democracy,” Dr Maponga asserted, citing infrastructure projects like roads, industries, and airports he claims to have witnessed in Mali and Burkina Faso.
Views on democracy
Pressed by the journalist on whether democracy is an inherently flawed concept or simply poorly practised in Africa, Dr Maponga stated he has not seen it work anywhere. “Show me one country that is democratic,” he challenged.
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He argued that the system is a foreign imposition that cannot function without its Western designers and is easily manipulated.
However, he later appeared to soften this stance, suggesting that what is practised in Africa is a mere “caricature of democracy” and that he could support a “genuine democracy” where people truly govern themselves, or a more traditional African system of “collective democracy” led by a council of elders.
When questioned on the long-term viability of military regimes, Dr Maponga initially dismissed sustainability as a luxury. “If you have been closed up in a dungeon for 20 days… even if seeing the sun is for 20 minutes, my brother, it’s worth a breath,” he said.
Pushed further, he conceded that building lasting institutions is crucial, describing it as “work in progress” for leaders like Traoré. “For sustainability, of course, the building of systems, building of handover, you know, transfer of skills and managing of the system, creating a new… to me that’s work in progress,” he admitted.
Dr Maponga’s stance on democracy starkly contrasts with the prevailing views of many Africans. According to a 2024 flagship report by Afrobarometer, a pan-African research network, two-thirds (66 per cent) of citizens across 39 countries still prefer democracy over any other form of government.
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However, the same report highlights a growing disillusionment that may fuel support for alternative models. Satisfaction with how democracy works has plummeted over the past decade, and more than half of Africans now say they would tolerate military intervention if elected leaders abuse their power.
This decline in democratic satisfaction is particularly sharp in some of the continent’s most established democracies, including Botswana (-40 percentage points) and South Africa (-35 percentage points).
The Afrobarometer data also shows that popular support for democracy has declined significantly in Mali and Burkina Faso, two of the countries Dr Maponga holds up as positive examples of military rule.
Africa’s problem
When asked what ails Africa, Dr Maponga used a series of powerful, and at times graphic, metaphors. He described the continent as a beautiful body with a failing mind, stating, “The resources of the country that can’t think, they are taken away by those that are sober.”
He attributed the continent’s problems to a leadership that is “fast asleep,” manipulated, compromised, and often installed by Western powers to maintain a neocolonial narrative.
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On the question of how political change should occur, Dr Maponga expressed deep cynicism about the ballot box, which he believes is easily rigged by incumbents. “How can I print the ballot papers… and I make sure that I lose in the system? How does that work?” he asked rhetorically.
While not explicitly calling for street protests, his support for military coups as a vehicle for change was clear, provided they “dictate the right thing.” Ultimately, he said his hope lies with an informed youth who can rise to positions of power and transform the system from within.
Plea to Samia
At the conclusion of the interview, Dr Maponga made a direct plea to Tanzania’s head of state, President Samia Suluhu Hassan. “Listen to the voice of the people,” he urged. “Do not use the same colonial system which you and your party were fighting to destroy people who have put you in power.”
His appeal carries significant weight in Tanzania, coming just three months after a brutal post-election crackdown on October 29, 2025, in which security forces were accused of killing hundreds of protesters following a disputed poll.
The plea also lands amid widespread public frustration over the government’s decision to halt a long-promised constitutional reform process, which critics argue is essential for democratic progress.
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A theologian by training and a pastor for over 30 years, Dr Maponga is a well-known public intellectual and author who has courted controversy before, notably for his critical views on religion and homosexuality.
He told The Chanzo that he had relocated to his native Zimbabwe after spending over two decades in South Africa, where he faced pressure from anti-immigrant groups.
His visit to Tanzania was for a public lecture titled “Media Bias Toward Africa” at the Dr Salim Ahmed Salim Centre for Foreign Relations on January 21, 2026.
