National Institutions in Governance

Introduction

National institutions play a vital role in governance. They represent the culture, values, aims and objectives of the nation; they represent its history and seek to shape its future. Whether they are museums, political organizations, religious bodies, sports, or arts, national institutes sum up the strength and vision of a nation, and they can serve to unite diverse people in times of crises of leadership. While accountability is essential to governance, it is sometimes missing when leadership fails to act appropriately (UN, 2020). It is for that reason that national institutes serve as a safeguard against temporary failures of government; they bolster the public, inspire people, and stabilize the character of a nation even when it is faced with destabilizing forces from within and without. This paper looks at the role of national institutions at the global level, then at the African level, and finally within Zimbabwe to show why they are vital in governance.

Globally

When it comes to global governance, no institution plays a larger role than the United Nations (UN). It has been front and center of global change and progress for decades, and it has served as the stage upon which the various nations of the world work out disagreements and set the course of human affairs. The UN represents in a macro way what is often seen in individual nations of diverse populations: an institution celebrating principles and ideals that the community values highly and helping all people to base their actions and lives on these ideals.

In some cases, it means putting forward policies that promote peace, in other cases it means putting forward policies that promote security, and in other cases it means advancing policies that aim to eliminate disparities (Global Challenges Foundation, 2020). Whether it is a college or health care institute in the US, a central bank in Europe, the Institutes of Technology in India, or the Commission on Human and Peoples Rights in Africa, they all have one thing in common: focus on the care and advancement of the human population.

Africa

In Africa, the role of national institutions in governance indicates mixed results, with same cases showing a positive correlation between national institutions...

What this suggests is that national institutions alone, by themselves, cannot account for positive influences across all regions in Africa. However, in some regions, where they support and in turn find support from government and the public, the harmony and alignment of interests, values and principles leads to greater and more effective governance overall.

Today, there are many institutions that aim to provide governance and assist in the provision of governance. The Network of African National Human Rights Institutions, for instance, includes 46 members across all Africa, working jointly to help bring about important changes in individual states to promote human rights. For example, the Network worked with the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance in Tanzania to provide training to Human Rights Defenders in Tanzania (NANHRI, 2021). The Network also supported the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria to help develop a plan to decriminalize petty offences in the Lagos States and in Oyo (NANHRI, 2021).

However, Africa as a whole, has a history of its national institutions being corrupted by political elites who use them to reward friends and supporters by putting these same people into positions of power and influence (Chikara, 2020). That system of cronyism prevents national institutions from achieving the type of good governance that they should be able to achieve were the politics of the various...

…Drive and Pringle Road in Mandara, Harare, is just but one example showing defective engineering work. Similarly, the intersection of Lytton Road and the Paisely Road as you drive towards Mufakose in Harare is another example of poor quality workmanship, which has become the hallmark of our engineering professionals in public institutions. Then there is the problem of bumpy roads in the capital city, a lack of quality paint used on sign markings, and the expenditure of funds that seems to result in more and more mediocrity, time and time again (Chikara, 2020). One can often find trenches dug across roads that are barely or poorly covered for long periods of time so that people can have Internet connections or address water issuesbut that does not mean the work should be shoddily done (Chikara, 2020).

For Zimbabwe to rise out of the malaise of mediocrity that characterizes it and once more regain its position of leadership that it deserves, the national institutions need to take on more accountability and fight for independence so that they can represent the values and ideals of the people even in the face of changing administrations. The more that they do this, the harder it will be for Zimbabwe to persist in its current mediocre state. It is the role of national institutions to assume this character when leadership is lacking in othe aspects.

Conclusion

National institutions are vital in all countries around the world. They serve to reflect and promote the culture, values, and progress that people expect and want to see. In Africa it is no different than elsewhere in the worldbut the corruption of administrations is also more pronounced, and in Zimbabwe there is an opportunity for national institutions to become leaders in governance. With Mugabe gone from office, it is essential that these institutions help…