The rise of civic technology in Africa can be attributed to the rapid growth of internet penetration and access to smartphones, computers and similar technological devices. It suffices to note that this rise has also been triggered by the need of citizens to participate in governance and policy issues of their respective countries. According to Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA), ‘mobile internet users had grown in 2018 to 7,148, 325, representing a penetration rate of 79.07%.’ However, this massive rate has not translated to an increase in civic tech for Zambia despite the many opportunities this provides to young innovators in the country. Amini Centre for Policy Research as a youth-led think tank in Zambia acknowledges the gap between the citizens and the government and intends to initiate conversations on the matter. The recent formation of the Ministry of Technology and Science signals political will with regards to civic tech. It is my hope to be proven right in due course.
An interesting thing I find about the South African Constitution is its mention that, ‘all citizens have a right to access information gathered about them by the state’. A great move that Zambia is equally adopting gradually. Agencies like the Zambia Statistics Agency publish disaggregated data on several variables about the country and its citizens which is made available to all. Despite the increase in information to citizenry, the challenge remains on the interaction between the government and the citizens. GovTech through Smart Zambia has improved and increased the interaction between government agencies, ministries, institutions and bodies. This E-Government initiative is a great way to achieve efficiency within the government. But a great ingredient to link the government to its people is missing, arguably, civic technology provides for a great medium to bridge this gap in Zambia. I will discuss further, what constitutes participatory democratic governance and cite a few examples of countries in Africa using civic tech to foster participatory governance. Lastly, I respond to, why civic tech in Zambia and why it needs to be accepted as an official way of communication to advance good governance.
WHAT CONSTITUTES PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE?
Participatory Democratic Governance happens when the government is really of the people, by the people and for the people. It is embodied in processes that empower its people to take part in public decision-making. In the words of Nylen (2003), Participatory Democratic Governance has been widely and deeply embraced by an increasing number of intellectuals, leaders and activists as a means to deal with the problems of Elitist Democracy throughout the world.
To begin with, for Participatory Democratic Governance to work there should be appreciation and celebration of difference. Tolerance is not enough. Therefore, Zambians must first understand why there is beauty in the diversity of ideas, beliefs, opinions, values, political parties and communities. All Zambians must freely express themselves politically regardless of sex, gender, religion, race, tribe or place of birth. It goes hand in hand with freedom of expression. Once Zambians are free to express their opinions and access information through various civic technology platforms, say apptorney (a single source platform for Zambian Case Law, Legislations and subsidiary Legislations), democratic values of liberty, equality and justice will be promoted which in turn enhances the ability to make informed political decisions and active participation in the democratic system.
There should be respect for the rule of law. No one should be above the law. This is the basis of respect for human rights. All minorities and vulnerable groups will be able to participate freely in various democratic processes when they know that their lives and rights are protected by the law. They are sure that their freedoms and rights will not be trumped by anyone and that their voices will be heard irrespective of their gender, sex, sexuality, place of birth, tribe or religion. ‘Justice Today’ is a Zimbabwean mobile application that uses Artificial Intelligence to educate victims of crimes on the legal procedures and protect the citizens from crime. The platform aims at providing various legal aid for citizens and enables them to report crime in real time through mobile technology. This platform enables crime victims to report offenders and contributes to ensuring that there is respect for the rule of law.
Consensus oriented political culture must be institutionalised. The Zambian state has many actors that share different views. Platforms where various actors can negotiate and reach a consensus have to be initiated. This may as well require a change in the mindset of various actors and the people themselves. Once this culture is cultivated, it can expand to various state institutions that contribute to political development substantially. In Mali for instance, there is a mobile application that brings elected officials closer to the citizens. MonElu mobile application enables the users to contact elected representatives of their constituency and question, suggest ideas and point out challenges to them.
At Amini Centre for Policy Research in Zambia we rolled out the 2022 plan for each thematic area (international relations, development and electoral analysis). One of the main focuses is to initiate the conversation on civic technology in Zambia and potentially bridge the gap between the citizens and their elected officials in the digital age.
Equity and inclusiveness is of paramount importance. This ensures that every actor in the political system feels that they have a part in it. The minorities and most vulnerable groups are able to take part and enjoy the democratic process in doing so. In 2021, I shared my thoughts [CLICK HERE] on how Zambia and its expats can benefit from diaspora voting that the Electoral Commission of Zambia now intends to bring to the discussion.
Participatory Democratic Governance works hand in hand with accountability. Trust is enhanced with accountability. Various actors have to be well informed on how the government is operating and they should be at liberty to question whenever they feel something is missing. This also applies to the civil society and the private sector, they have to be part of the institutions that promote the participatory culture.
Moreover, Transparency is vital to Participatory Democratic Governance. Transparency ensures that decisions made and their enforcement is done in a way that follows rules and regulations. Action for Transparency (A4T) in Kenya is strengthening Participatory Democratic Governance by using a mobile based application to empower citizens and civil servants to act on corruption experienced. It also enables them to check the government budget and money pledged to various schools and health clinics against the actual expenditure. They intended to make corruption less desirable by exposing corrupt acts at an individual and institutional level and eventually revealing the information to the media and activist movements. Through civic tech, Kenya has provided a concrete example of an accountability and transparency tool-Action for Transparency (A4T).
Finally, all the democratic actors and their stakeholders have to be responsive. Responsiveness is very important as it ensures that decisions and actions are executed in a way that serves the interests of all the stakeholders within a reasonable period of time. This increases the trust in the democratic institutions and values hence promoting participatory democracy. Though not through civic tech, the country has improved on responsiveness and efficiency through Smart Zambia that has and digitalised some of government services- E-Governance. The two (GovTech and Civic Tech) can work hand in hand to increase citizen involvement in decision-making and help the government to respond to issues by the citizens, eventually contributing to strengthening participatory democratic governance.
WHY (NOT) CIVIC TECH?
To entirely attain Participatory Democratic Governance is a challenging task, especially for developing countries like Zambia. However, the country is becoming more tolerant to indicators of good governance. Participatory Democratic Governance may have its own strengths and drawbacks, but it should be prioritised as it gives community members the opportunity to make decisions on issues affecting their society, regardless of status. Over the recent years, civic technology has shown to be an effective tool in African countries for strengthening citizen participation in democratic governance issues, despite the lack of political will by some leaders in the continent.
What we know thus far, about examples of Civic Tech cited here is that they all operate in countries which are politically unstable or with a recent history of such. The 2021 military coup in Mali, 2020 violent protests in Uganda following the arrest of Bob Wine leaving about 37 people dead, 2021 civil unrest (worst violence in South Africa since Apartheid ended) fueled by economic instability and imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma among several other examples. Therefore, while Civic Tech may be seen as a necessity, it is not sufficient on its own and requires political will from the leaders. Civic Technology is instrumental in strengthening democratic processes and promoting inclusive decision-making if and only if it has been properly implemented.
FINAL THOUGHT
There is a possibility of countless reasons why Civic Tech is not a solution to Zambia’s Participatory Democratic Governance but I can put out a few reasons why it is worth a try, especially with great African lessons of how not to do it. Civic Technology enhances legitimacy by associating nationals to decision-making; increases accountability, transparency and trust between the government and citizens; engages citizens on governance issues conveniently; helps the government to better understand the needs of the citizens; and provides a platform for young innovators. Civic Tech does not guarantee the listed but can be a starting point for addressing good governance in Zambia.
Civic Tech is not without challenges and has triggered backlash from governments in some countries through internet shutdowns and online surveillance. Civic Technology is largely dependent on technology infrastructure such as computers, smartphones and internet, that is not fully accessible to some citizens in Zambia. The newly formed Ministry of Technology and Science needs to lead the conversation in Civic Tech and provide opportunities for the young innovators in the country. There is also a need to ensure that Civic Tech, just like GovTech, is being matched by accessibility to the relevant infrastructure. It is still my hope to be proven right that there is political will for the government to act and embrace Civic Tech.