Decentralisation and Community Participation: Local Development and Municipal Politics in Cameroon
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Decentralisation and Community Participation: Local Development and Municipal Politics in Cameroon by WALLACE NUMVI GWAIBI A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA FACULTY OF HUMANITIES SUPERVISOR: JOHN S. SHARP November 2015 © University of Pretoria ABSTRACT Decentralisation and Community Participation: Local Development and Municipal Politics in Cameroon This thesis explores how policies of decentralisation and community participation adopted in Cameroon in 1996 have played out on the ground since 2004. These reforms were carried out amid economic crisis, structural adjustment and political upheaval. At the time, popular sentiment was that change on the economic and political fronts was imperative. However, the ruling elite, some of whom had been shuttling around the state apparatus since independence, feared that succumbing to popular demands for change was tantamount to political suicide, as was the case elsewhere on the continent. These elites thwarted opposition demands for a ‘sovereign’ national conference to discuss constitutional reform. On the other hand, the Francophone-dominated elite fiercely objected to Anglophone demands for the restoration of the Federal state that was dissolved in 1972. Instead, decentralisation was presented as a genuine forum for grassroots autonomy and municipal councils as credible arenas for community participation in local development. This study adopts an interdisciplinary approach to unearth the permutations of decentralisation and community participation in Cameroon and documents how local issues influence and are influenced by national policies and processes. ii © University of Pretoria ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to thank the Almighty God for the inspiration, the wisdom, and the strength that guided and enabled me to complete this study. This PhD thesis is the fruit of hard work, dedication and devotion to achieving a higher level of academic excellence. My research with the Human Economy Programme at the University of Pretoria was funded in collaboration with the Andrew J. Mellon Foundation, and the Social Science Research Council’s Next Generation Social Science in Africa Fellowship. Much of the writing up process was carried out at the superb facilities of the Old College House at the University of Pretoria. Special thanks to my supervisor Professor John Sharp for leading me down a challenging but ultimately fruitful path to academic success. To Professor Keith Hart, your incisive comments and wise counsel were crucial in the process of obtaining the ticket into this prestigious trade union. I also wish to thank everyone I encountered during my fieldwork in Cameroon specifically in Mbankomo and Bali, for lack of space I cannot mention all of you however, Mr Pefok, Mr Essomba and Mr Daniel your inputs was crucial in ensuring the success of this project. This thesis is dedicated to my family for supporting me throughout this process. I am eternally grateful to my late mother Mami NUNYONGA GRACE who despite the pain and suffering of ill-health and until the point of death never failed to remind me of the importance of my study and the need to stay focused despite the very traumatic effects of her malady. Mami, your courage and steadfastness in the face of the most unbearable pain and your determination to overcome the illnesses that afflicted you is a powerful source of inspiration to us as we face the gruelling challenges of life without your physical presence... iii © University of Pretoria LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AFD Agence Française de Développement AfDB African Development Bank AIP Annual Investment Plans AusAID Australian Agency for International Development B.C.W.C Bali Community Water Committee CAMWATER Cameroon Water Utilities Corporation CAR Central African Republic CARE Cooperation for American Relief Everywhere C.B.O Community Based Organisations C.C Central Committee C.D.D Community Development Department C.D.P Council Development Plans CELLUCAM Cellulose du Cameroun CFA Communauté Financière Africaine CIACC Cameroon Industrial and Civic Contractors CNU Cameroon National Union CPDD Cercle des Promoteurs du Développement Durable CPDM Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement CPM Communist Party of India-Marxist CRTV Cameroon Radio Television CWE China Water and Electricity Corporation CYL Cameroon Youth League CYSD Centre Youth and Social Organisation DFID Department of International Development DO Divisional Officer EEC European Economic Community ELECAM Elections Cameroon EU European Union FEICOM Fonds Spécial d'Equipement et d'Intervention Intercommunale iv © University of Pretoria FMO Forces des Maintiens de l'Ordre GBSS Government Bilingual Secondary School GDP Gross Domestic Product GIZ German Organisation for International Cooperation IDP Internally Displaced Persons IFI International Financial Institutions IMF International Monetary Fund JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency KFW German Development Bank KIA Kom Improvement Association KNC Kamerun National Congress KNDP Kamerun National Democratic Party KPP Kamerun People’s Party LNG Liquefied Natural Gas L.P.A Lagos Plan of Action L.S.O Local Support Organization MINATD Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation MRC Mouvement pour la Renaissance du Cameroun N.A Native Authorities NCNC National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons NGO Non-Governmental Organisations NOWELA Northwest Elite Association NUDP National Union for Democracy and Progress OAU Organisation of African Unity OBAC Odisha Budget and Accountability Centre ODI Overseas Development Institute PADDL Programme d’Appui à la Décentralisation et au Développement Local P.C.D Plan Communal de Développent PDP Peoples Democratic Party PNDP Programme National de Développement Participatif v © University of Pretoria P.P Popular Participation PT Partido dos Trabalhadores PTA Parent’s Teachers Association P.V.C Polyvinyl Chloride P.W.D Public Works Department SAP Structural Adjustments Program SATA-HELVETAS Swiss Association for Technical Assistance SCAPO Southern Cameroons Peoples Organisation SCDP Société Camerounaise des Dépôts Pétrolière. SCNC Southern Cameroons National Council SDF Social Democratic Front SDO Senior Divisional Officer SG Secretary General SIBADEF Sustainable Integrated Balanced Development Foundation SNEC Société National des Eau du Cameroun SNV Netherlands Development Organisation SOCAME Société Camerounaise des Engrais SODEBLE Société pour le Développement de la culture du Blé SONEL Société National d’Electricité SWELA South West Elite Association SWOT Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats UC Union Camerounaise UCCC United Councils and Cities of Cameroon UDC Union Démocratique du Cameroun UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UPC Union des Populations du Cameroun VAT Value Added Tax YCPDM Youths of the Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement vi © University of Pretoria TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................... II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................... III LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS....................................................................................... IV TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................. VII CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION AND METHODS 1.1 CONTEXTUALISING DECENTRALISATION AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN CAMEROON ........................ 1 1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY ................................................................................................................................. 3 1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT....................................................................................................................................... 4 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION ........................................................................................................................................ 5 1.4.1 Working questions ...................................................................................................................................... 6 1.5 LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................................................ 7 1.6 RESEARCH METHODS ...................................................................................................................................... 11 1.6.1 Preliminaries ............................................................................................................................................ 12 1.6.2 Bali ............................................................................................................................................................ 14 1.6.3 Mbankomo ................................................................................................................................................ 18 1.7 CHAPTER OUTLINE .......................................................................................................................................... 21 CHAPTER II CAMEROON: FROM MANDATE TO INDEPENDENCE & REUNIFICATION 2.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................